Lavender Scent
by Miriamimus
Summary: Lavender's struggling in her fight for werewolf rights. When she meets Ron one day the others are warmly inviting her to the Burrow. What with pep talks, rag dolls and Seamus Finnegan, maybe life isn't so bad after all. HPGW HGRW DTLL LBmaybeSF please R
1. Chapter 1

If you've been directed here from "Chess," skip to the story. If you haven't, well, reading Chess isn't vital to understanding this, so I'll just say the gist of what's needed to know.

Lavender was turned into a werewolf at the battle of Hogwarts by Greyback. While all the others repeated their last year at Hogwarts she dropped out and began campaigning for werewolf rights. She got the Wolfsbane potion to be sold commercially, got rid of Umbridge's legislation saying they couldn't work, helped set up support teams. The Ministry even considered replacing the Werewolf Registry with her plans. The last time we saw her she was glowing, enthusiastic and bubbly, ready to take on the world, walking away from the Burren with a slightly baffled Krum in tow (if you really want to know, you had best read the other story.)

Also, Ron and Harry are training to be Aurors, Hermione is in Healer School, Ron and Hermione are engaged, Dean and Luna are together.

Please read to the bottom of the first chapter before you put it down as a lost cause. And then review.

Oh, and the reason Roisin is here is because I met her on holidays and I needed a random character so in she goes.

Oh and yes, this is probably going to turn out extremely girly, I'm sorry to any uncamp guys.

* * *

She sniffed the room.

It smelt of the lilies in the corner, that smelt fresh and white, of the concoction used to clean the carpet, of dusty curtains, both grey. There was the smell of her desk, new parchment and strongly scented ink, the two merging to give a deep rich chocolate. There was the girl seated in front of her. She smelt of deodorant covering over sweat and grime, clearly, this close to full moon, she did not feel like washing, a nameless, greasy colour tinged with the red of adrenaline that her temper gave off. Then there was herself, shampoo, lip gloss, perfume, coffee, and the scent that for a while, had had no name, the smell that was as old as centuries. Lavender, with a touch of russet brown.

She looked down at the papers in front of her and attempted to concentrate on the words.

"So, Roisin," she said to the girl who had arrived half an hour late to her forty five minute session.

"It's Roisin," said the girl, pronouncing it Row-sheen instead of Ruh-sheen. "There's an effing fada on the O. The last I too."

Lavender neither knew nor cared what a fada was but asked anyway out of politeness.

"It's an accent, you know."

Lavender squinted at the papers again. "I don't see it."

"Course not, that was written on a Muggle computer wasn't it?"

"But I did Muggle Studies for a year and I'm pretty sure that computers can do accents."

"Yeah, but me da couldn't be bothered to put it in."

Lavender suddenly questioned why she was having this conversation and changed the subject.

"Look, you know why you're here." she said simply to her client. "You're a werewolf. Nothing's going to change that."

"So if nothing's going to change it, then why am I here?"

"Because I found you on a list in the Registry and thought I had better check you out. I'm trying to make life easier for you."

"Yeah, how?"

"Well, getting you a job for instance. Wait, now I remember, your name wasn't down in the Hogwarts archive, were you home-schooled?"

Roisin snorted. "Not likely. Sure, didn't they send me off to France the first chance they got."

"So you were in Beauxbatons?"

"No I lived under a rock for seven years."

Lavender ignored the sarcasm. She was too tired for it. So she tried "So, you speak French?"

"Listen, are you seriously mentally challenged? Yes, of course I speak French."

"So how about going into foreign relations? I'm sure we could find you a place." said Lavender and flicked through a pile.

"No. Dan wants to stay in London. I'm not even allowed to go home! If it wasn't for the fact that me aunt lets them stay, I'd never even get a whiff of mam and da. Sure, and don't I have to stay with her and all at full moon?"

"Who's Dan?"

"My boyfriend. Put two and two together why don't you?" said Roisin, folding her arms and looking away.

"Why do you have to stay at your aunt's at full moon?"

"'Cause he doesn't want a wild animal in the house, that's why."

"Okay, the first thing I want you to do is break up with him."

"What?"

"I'll find you someone better. How about Marco, he was in here before you, half-Italian, and you know the reputation they have."

"Why would I break up with Dan?"

"Because if he can't accept who you are, he isn't worth it, trust me. Look," she said pulling a piece of scrap parchment out and scribbling on it. "Here's Marco's address, send him an owl, okay? And now, if you don't mind," the church bells outside chimed five, and she pulled on her coat. "I've got things to do."

And she Disapparated, leaving Roisin looking sufficiently bewildered.

--

Diagon Alley is heaven if you like interesting smells, but hell if you're a werewolf trying to concentrate. Especially if you're standing outside the apothecary. The separate scents of everyone in the crowd begged for attention, and were overwhelmed by the heavy aromas of the potions inside.

She stepped inside holding her breath and let down her collar. It was warm in here in any case, certainly compared to the brisk October air outside.

Lavender went down the first aisle and picked up a cramp potion. No need to suffer unnecessarily. Then she went further into the shop, twisting this way and that, to the specialist remedies. She scanned the shelves. It was not there. She swore under her breath and went to the counter.

"Are you out of the Wolfsbane potion?" she asked sweetly, knowing full well this was not the case.

The assistant looked shocked. "No, we keep it in the back, so as not to cause alarm."

She swore again mentally. Obviously her work was going to waste. "Could I have a bottle please?"

"S-sure." He hurried into the back room and came out with a bottle in a paper bag which he placed on the counter at arms length.

She put the other bottle in the bag as well, and threw the gold down on the table. "I don't bite you know." she said as she turned her back and walked out into the street.

She was making her way towards the Leaky Cauldron in a daze when someone bumped into her. She dropped the bag and winced and fell to her knees as she heard the breaking of glass and saw the liquid seeping out. She knelt there on the cobbles for what seemed an eternity, the people passing her by, staring at the mess on the floor until a voice said "Lavender?"

She looked up to see a figure. It was a familiar one, a familiar freckled face and flame red hair.

"Ron?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied kneeling down in front of her. "What happened?"

"Some idiot walked into me and I dropped the bottle." she said, utterly miserable.

"Oh." said Ron looking at the mess. "Well, we can't really get the potion back, should we go get another bottle?"

"No, I only had enough for one." Not strictly true, her spare money had gone to the cramp potion, also on the floor, but thought he would not appreciate her tendering this piece of information. "It was Wolfsbane."

"Oh." he said again quietly. Then "Why don't you come back with me? Hermione has loads of ingredients from Healer School, I bet she could make you some. Or, I mean, I have a never-ending source of gold. It's called Harry."

She gave a weak smile. "No, I couldn't ask him to buy me it." she said shaking her head.

"Well then Hermione will make it for you. She'd probably cheer at the thought."

"I couldn't possibly-"

"Come back for dinner at least." he said, determined. "We're still at my parents at the moment, until Ginny finishes school, you know, and the four of us will get somewhere for until we're all finished training and everything. Anyway, Mum would be thrilled to have you over."

It was the idea that anybody might be thrilled to have her that won her over. That, and the prospect of seeing people from Hogwarts, reminders of happier times.

"Well, if it's no trouble."

"Of course it's not."

He pulled her up off the wet ground and grasped her hand. She just had time to think how warm and comforting his fingers were before he Apparated them both back to the Burrow.

--

There was much hugging and kissing on her arrival. She remembered her last visit to this house. She had not been as nearly as glad to be there as she was now. The familiar faces of her three Hogwarts friends, especially that of Hermione were great comforts. For Hermione had been one of her protectors all those years, and though they may have fallen out a few times as they got older, it was only what was to be expected.

Mrs. Weasley was indeed happy to see her. Mrs. Weasley, it must be said, was happy to see any guest for dinner, and was glowing as she served Lavender a huge plate of roast beef, potatoes, carrots, peas and Yorkshire pudding all smothered in thick gravy, followed by a massive helping of rhubarb and custard. Lavender felt full, almost content.

Then she and the other three moved into the living room and sat down. Hermione sent flames into the grate.

"So." she said.

Lavender smiled, usually she had no trouble filling silences. Not today though.

"Oh yeah." said Ron, remembering his words earlier. "'Mione, since Lavender's too polite to ask, are you able to make the Wolfsbane potion?"

Hermione did a double take. "I thought you could buy it in town."

"You can," continued Ron. "But she broke the bottle and then had a nervous breakdown. Oh I forgot to mention that. I found her sitting on the ground in Diagon Alley."

Lavender blushed as she felt the others' gaze on her.

"Bad day?" asked Hermione sympathetically.

Lavender nodded. "Like you wouldn't believe."

"I thought you liked your work?" asked Harry and Ron elbowing him did not escape Lavender's notice. She decided to overlook the lack of tact and answered truthfully.

"It's hard work that doesn't pay the rent."

"What?" asked Hermione softly. Lavender met her eyes.

"I have to come up with the money in two days or I'm evicted. I only had enough for the potion, and I can't go without it."

Two potions, she thought. But the extra four Sickles wouldn't have made much difference.

"Do your parents not give you anything?" asked Ron, frowning.

Tears pricked to Lavender's eyes. "They cut me off when they found out that…"

She saw Ron's ears turn red. Then he said "Then come and stay here."

"Oh no, no I couldn't Ron I-"

"Why not? You hate us that much?"

"No but I wouldn't want to intrude-"

Ron laughed at her "Intrude? I don't think so. Mum?" he shouted.

Mrs. Weasley put her head round the door. "Yes dear?"

"Can Lavender come and live with us?"

"Yes of course." she said without hesitation. "Why don't you go help her pack?" She went back into the kitchen.

Ron sat back, rubbed his hands together and smirked. His ears paled again.

"Sorted." he said.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry and Ron both decided to Disapparate back with Lavender to help her pack. She pulled her school trunk out from under her bed, it was what she had been using to carry all her belongings, and the two holdalls she had bought to aid it.

With a sweep of her wand, all her clothes were in, it was everything else that took time. Ron conjured up wads of tissue paper and into these they wrapped up her tiny ornamental ballerina, her ivory elephant, her dainty horse of Venetian glass with a swirl of purple in its mane, her little china box that held her assortment of unusual buttons and sequins, the glittering metal casket full of old beaded necklaces, her hand mirror and beautiful silver hourglass. Her collection of books, mostly tomes of law that she used to help the fight for werewolf rights, but also novels, wizard and Muggle alike, lay in a tottering pile on her bed being slid one by one to any extra space in the trunk or either of the two holdalls. She went into her tiny bathroom and packed up every single bottle of cosmetics. Her wireless would not fit in anywhere, it lay on top. All the cutlery and crockery had come with the flat, but the whistling kettle was her own and she refused too leave it behind. She shoved her towels in and flattened all her shoes into the top of one of the holdalls. Soon, her flat was exactly the way she had seen it first.

She scribbled a note to her landlady saying she had moved out and would pay the month's rent when she had the money. Then with a firm hold on the luggage they Apparated back to the Burrow where Mrs. Weasley said "Now Lavender dear, I've put you in with Hermione in Ginny's room, so you'll both have a bit of company."

Ron snorted and whispered "It's so I won't feel compelled to sneak in there at night."

But Lavender was glad of this news. Then suddenly a cold fear entered her stomach. What if Hermione was unhappy about the arrangements?

So she put a Locomotive charm on her bags and the wireless (Mrs. Weasley had been enchanted by the pink enamel whistling kettle and decided to keep it downstairs) and followed her directions to Ginny's room.

The room was small, with clean white walls plastered with big posters of the Weird Sisters and the Holyhead Harpies. There was only enough room for the two beds, a wardrobe at the end of one and a desk at the end of the other. A cabinet was squeezed in between the two, and you could tell Hermione had been sleeping here by the pile of heavy books on it. On either side of the window above the cabinet, and above the window as well, were shelves, and she noticed one ran the whole way round the room close to the ceiling.

Hermione herself was in her pyjamas sitting on her bed, tidily made in pale blue sheets and duvet, another volume open in front of her crossed legs. She looked up and -actually!- smiled.

"Hey." she said.

"Hi." replied Lavender, directing her bags to her bed and opening the trunk with her wand. She sat down opposite her friend, and remembered their circular dormitory in Hogwarts. With only three of them, of course she was always in the bed next to Hermione, Parvati too. She smiled remembering.

"There's drawers under the bed." said Hermione helpfully, standing up and unzipping one of the hold alls. Lavender bent down and looked "So there are." she smiled, and stood up again.

With a wave of her wand, Hermione sorted the contents of all the bags. The ornaments flew out of their wrappings and arranged themselves above the door. The books sorted themselves by subject into spare room on the shelves amongst Ginny's and Hermione's. The majority of her clothes flew into the drawers (which Ginny had emptied) but her best sets of robes hung themselves in the wardrobe. Her shoes lined themselves up neatly. The wireless set itself on the desk. The cosmetics and towels floated to the bathroom. Her pyjamas lay themselves on the bed.

"Wow." she said. "What was that?"

"Organization spell. For if we're doing orderly work in the hospital. Very useful."

"Very." agreed Lavender.

They dragged the trunk with the two bags inside it to the hall, and Hermione showed her the monk's bench inside which these things were kept. Then they went back into the room and Lavender began to get changed.

She was never body conscious, not really but realised that Hermione would never have seen her scars, the scars that covered the left side of her torso, from her hip up to halfway through her ribs. They were still as red and livid as the day she had got them. The Healers had said it was a miracle none of her major organs had been permanently damaged. But the scars, they had said, the scars would never heal.

At the time, the fact she would no longer be able to wear a bikini was the least of her worries. Even later, after she had done some thinking, any man she would even consider letting near them would have been understanding enough up to that point, and probably wouldn't mind them. Probably. Hopefully. She had been so busy though, that she hadn't had time to test this theory.

But would Hermione comment? Hermione who had always understood, Hermione who was training to be a Healer. Only one way to find out.

She slipped off her red cashmere jumper to reveal her violet bra, and the dark wounds. She heard a small, discreet intake of breath. Lavender shut her eyes tight and bit her lip. Even her oldest friends weren't able to accept it.

With her back to Hermione, she unclipped the bra and slipped on her old West Ham football team t-shirt. It had been a birthday present from Dean, who else? Her lips twitched as she pulled down her smart black work trousers and put her faded tartan bottoms on instead. Then she turned and looked at her friend who quickly rearranged her features into a smile. Lavender was not fooled.

"They're awful aren't they?" she said holding back the tears.

"No. No they're not Lavender. As Fleur says, all scars show are that you are brave."

"It's alright for her," said Lavender, remembering tall, willowy Fleur Delacour. "She's so stunning, she would never have to worry about it." She shook her head and shut her mouth to stop a sob. Hermione sat beside her and put an arm around her.

"This isn't about the scars is it?" she asked softly.

Lavender shook her head again. "Today was my dad's birthday. When I was little, Mum and I used to make him a huge breakfast and wake him up with presents. And he always gave me a present back. Always. Even when I was at Hogwarts, it didn't wait until next morning post, an owl would come that evening with a necklace or a book…last year there wasn't anything. I thought maybe it was a mistake but this year I…I know better." She began to cry in earnest. Hermione squeezed her shoulders.

"Maybe the owl didn't know you were here."

Lavender gave a weak smile. "There's no point pretending. They don't want me anymore. It's as simple as that. I know." She wiped the tears off her face

Hermione was speechless for a moment. Then she said in a quiet voice. "But there are lots of people who do want you. All of us here."

Lavender looked her in the eye. "You really don't mind me being here? After everything with, you know…"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Lavender, I forgave you ages ago for what happened with Ron. I always forgive you. Do you remember we fought that first night back in Fifth Year?"

Lavender nodded.

"And then remember the next night you were homesick, and we opened my birthday bottle of strawberry champagne and drank it all without Parvati? We told her it never came?"

Lavender smiled at the memory. The smile slid off her face as she said "I haven't seen Parvati since I came out of Mungo's."

"Well who needs her anyway? We had some good times without her, remember?"

"Yeah." breathed Lavender. Then she giggled. "Remember that time in Fourth Year where we sneaked into the Second Year dorm and shaved off Demelza's eyebrows?"

Hermione giggled as well. "Yes. And we had to get Alicia to re-grow them because we didn't know how!"

"We did have fun I guess." said Lavender shrugging.

"Yeah we did." said Hermione. They were quiet for a moment. Then she said "Wow, it's half twelve! I didn't know you had taken so long packing. We should probably turn in, we'll have to get up early to make this potion."

"You'll make it?" asked Lavender incredulously.

"Of course. I was looking up the recipe." she said pointing at the open book. "It's lucky I had some lacewing flies stewing anyway."

"You won't need them?"

"I only need a couple, we can use the rest." Hermione clambered into her own bed and Lavender climbed under her duvet, turning out the light with a wave of her wand.

And for the first time in a long time, she felt safe. She always had with Hermione. All the times homesickness had struck, when she had experienced her monthlies for the first time, when she had developed her first crush on Seamus Finnegan, Hermione had been there. She remembered all the late night talks, the laughs, the practical jokes.

A memory keep to mind and she couldn't keep in the laughter.

"Do you remember that awful pink bra we found under your bed, and we threw it out the window? It landed on Professor Burbage's hat and she wore it like that all day!"

And they were giggling, once again, like schoolgirls.

--

When Ron came downstairs in the morning, he had for some reason, expected the two girls to be at each other necks. Which is why he was so perplexed to find them brewing the potion together in fits of laughter, as if there had never been any enmity between them


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter is short compared to the others, I know, I just realised...

* * *

The full moon passed in a blur of scents for Lavender a she lay on the rug of the Burrow sitting room dreaming of raw steak. She woke up human once again, and slightly groggy, but her constant headache was gone and her skull felt the right shape.

She always took the day after full moon off for recovery. As it was a Saturday Hermione decided to join her and the two agreed that window shopping in Diagon Alley would be a good way to spend their time.

Lavender, now feeling so much better put on her red pinafore dress with its wide skirt and two big buttons at the front, thick white tights and her old teal cardigan over her shoulders. She slipped on her heels with old fashioned buckles at the toe and ribbons at the ankle. She put on turquoise eyeliner and mascara, grabbed her handbag and went downstairs, magically putting curls in her hair as she went.

At the table, Ron stared at her open mouthed. Harry followed his gaze and his jaw also dropped.

"What?" she asked innocently, taking a piece of toast.

"You look…different." Ron tried, chewing slowly.

"I know." she said happily. "But how nice is this dress? I mean come on."

"It's…bright?" he tried again.

"Just the thing to beat the autumn blues." she said and stuck her tongue out at him.

Hermione came down in a brown gypsy skirt and coat with her black leather boots. She stared at Lavender then said. "You look like Peggy."

Lavender gasped. "Peggy! I haven't seen her in ages! Do you have her?"

Harry looked from one to the other "Who's Peggy?"

"My rag doll." said Lavender simply.

"No, I thought you had taken her home with you. Neither me or Parvati had her."

"No, the last night I saw her was the Battle of Hogwarts. The date on my coin changed, and we gave her a last hug, in case…in case we didn't make it. After the battle, I woke up in Mungo's, and all my stuff was there except Peggy. I thought Parvati must've had her."

"No, because I checked with her when we went back after the summer. She hadn't taken her home."

"And this doll is important…why?" asked Ron.

At the same time the girls cast their gaze on him.

"If you had a secret you had to tell Peggy before anyone else." recited Hermione.

"If someone in the dorm was sad, they got Peggy that night." continued Lavender.

"If you were having boy trouble, you asked Peggy for advice."

"If you were crying, you had to hug Peggy."

"If you fought with someone and wanted to make up, you apologized by leaving Peggy on her bed."

"But most of all…" started Lavender.

"Above everything else…" emphasized Hermione

"You could never,"

"And we mean never" Hermione jutted in.

"Say something bad about Peggy or neglect her." they finished in unison.

"Peggy sounds like a dictator." muttered Ron.

"Well, she was a good one." Lavender sighed. "I do miss her."

"Wait, were you in the little two person room the year I wasn't there?" asked Hermione.

"No, we shared a room with the Sixth Years, there were so few of us."

"Maybe she's still there then. We'll write to Ginny when we get back shall we?"

"Yeah!" said Lavender. "She's probably under the bed or something."

"Anyway Peggy, you coming?" she said giving Lavender a wink.

"I'll go change if I'm that much of an embarrassment."

"No." said Hermione linking their arms. "You look great. I love that dress."

"Thanks." said Lavender, grateful at least one person did not think her a walking fashion crisis.

They came back from Diagon Alley content a coffeed up (courtesy of Hermione) to find a surprise waiting for them back at the Burrow.

"Dean!" cried Lavender as she ran and put her arms around the tall boy. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

He gave her one of his bear hugs. "Lavender! How're you?"

"Fine." she answered truthfully.

Because she was. Full moon was over, and here was another friendly face.

Dean, it transpired, was working in Gringotts, having always loved Arithmancy. He specialized in the Wizard Gold to British Muggle Pound exchange rate, and was loving it.

Mrs. Weasley, positively blissful at now having two guests, not to mention Harry and Hermione, made a massive shepherd's pie piled about a foot high with yellow buttery mashed potato. Lavender wolfed (she blushed at the word) it down. She hadn't had food as good as this since she left Hogwarts. A raspberry cheesecake followed and Lavender had two slices.

Afterwards, she was surprised to find that everyone simply went about their business. Hermione sat down with her parchment and quill and began writing out a report on the potion she had used the remainder of her lacewing flies in, chewing her quill and muttering.

Ron and Harry were sitting in the corner discussing their plans for some strategy game the Aurors were playing the next day (Lavender decided that if she ever had a second chance at life she would get the grades to become an Auror, training sounded so fun). Their objective was to rescue hostages from a fortress surrounded by dark wizards (trainers pretending to be dark wizards surrounding an illusion but still). As far as Lavender could see, Ron was going to make faces at them, shoot Conjunctivitis curses and get past while Harry was working on the defences of the fortress itself. She wished them luck.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sat in the kitchen, with Amos Diggory's head in the fireplace chatting happily.

That left Dean and Lavender.

"Come for a walk?" he asked. She obliged.

Outside the October evening was cold but the air was still. They walked out of the Burrow's boundaries, their breath coming out in little white clouds.

"Dragon's breath." said Dean smiling.

"What?" asked Lavender frowning.

"You used to call this dragon's breath. Way back."

"Well it is." she said defensively. "Ice dragons!"

Even in the dark she could see him roll his eyes. She wrapped her arms around her torso. "Say, you have your wand on you? It's really cold."

"No, it's back in the kitchen". he said.

Suddenly Lavender realised that how a few years ago, no witch or wizard in the country would have dared to come out into unclaimed land without a wand on them. Everything felt much safer now she thought.

She felt even safer as Dean threw his arms around her. She laughed.

"Warmer now?" he asked his head on top of her chin.

"Yup." she said snuggling into him, pleased at the human contact.

They walked to a fence separating the moor from farmer's land and climbed up on the stile sitting side by side on the summit of the wooden steps.

Lavender looked up. "Look at those stars." she breathed. "I can't see them in London."

"Me neither," said Dean looking up. "Country's good for something eh?"

"Yeah it is." she agreed. She looked up at the gibbous moon and shuddered. "I can understand why Professor Lupin was scared of the moon."

Dean looked at her closely. Even in the dark she could see his concern. She shrugged trying to say it was nothing. But she was biting her lip, because once again she had brought up her condition in a way that didn't compliment it.

"It's hard isn't it?" he asked.

"Sometimes." she said. And for some reason, at that moment, she felt she should open up to Dean. "Hermione saw my scars, and they all saw me as a wolf and sometimes when they see those things, it's like they can't see…me. It's silly really."

"No, not at all." said Dean putting an arm around her. "It isn't silly. It just shows that you care about your friends and you want to be close to them. You don't want anything to come between you and them."

She smiled and looked up at him. He leant in towards her, she tilted her face up…

Lavender put her fingers between their lips. "No Dean. We can't do this. What about Luna?"

He pulled away. "Sorry. You're right. I must just miss her."

"Yeah." she said, relieved he had come up so readily with an explanation.

"Some pair we are eh?" he asked.

"Yeah. Some pair." she said quietly in response.

All at once, she felt relieved nothing had come of it, lonely because it hadn't happened, happy because she had prevented it, guilty because she had had to prevent it.

And she proved Hermione right.

Girls are complicated.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry, it took a while with school starting and everything. So, not much happens in this chapter, but I'm not just filling in words, this is neccessary. Anyway, R&R. xxooxx

* * *

She was thinking that to herself as she looked at Roisin on the other side of the desk. You had to admit, she cleaned up pretty well. It looked as if she had attacked her lank brown hair with a Muggle thickening product, it was voluminous and feathery. She had also had a shower, thank God, she smelt of shower gel now. Her eyes were rimmed in black and she was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and blue V-neck jumper, her neck adorned with a flower choker, and her nails were painted to perfection.

"So, what did you do about Dan?"

"I broke up, like you said. I'm living with me aunt at the moment. And I thought about what you said, I would like to get a job, earn me own keep you know? There's just one wee problem."

"Which is?"

"That guy Marco. He's a plonker, just goes on about himself the whole time, and how fab it is in Italy. Sure, and hasn't he lived in Wales most of his life."

"But he is incredibly hot." pointed out Lavender. Which he was, it was hard to stop herself swooning when he walked in.

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter if he doesn't have a gram of brain in his head."

Lavender looked at Roisin, who she had expected to be shallow, surprised.

"Well, I'm sure we can find you someone else…" she said flicking through the files.

"Listen," said Roisin quietly. "Pretend you weren't a werewolf trying to set up a werewolf with a werewolf. Just imagine you're playing matchmaker for your mate. Who would you put me with?"

Lavender stared at her, shocked.

"Well, um…" she thought about it for a moment. Suddenly a face shot into her mind. "Seamus." she said under her breath.

"Who?"

"Seamus Finnegan. From Clare, I think. Or Limerick. Somewhere thereabouts. He's been a…friend of mine for a long time."

"Where's he working?" asked Roisin cautiously.

"Um, Bath, I'm pretty sure. Something to do with the springs. Keeping them heated, they need a little magical help. He's always been into engineering and stuff."

Roisin did a strange little half-shrug, half-nod.

"Could I have his address then?"

"Sure." said Lavender writing it down. She knew it off by heart, she wrote to him nearly every week. But she felt odd as she did it. "Send him an owl, or do you want me to send it?"

"No, you have enough to deal with." said Roisin taking the parchment. "Now, about this job."

Lavender pulled a box file towards her. It was full of job vacancies that were now open to werewolves.

"Well, there is this spot in the Department for International magical Cooperation. Percy Weasley's working there again, I knew him from Hogwarts, very well organised, always has everything planned out."

"What would I be doing?"

"Well, mainly looking after ambassadors and such like, but also taking care of things like the Quidditch World Cup games, the Twiwizard Tournament if it's taking place, looking after immigration laws…obviously with your language skills you would be a great asset in the work along with France…"

"I'll take it." said Roisin. "When do I start?"

"Oh, um…" Lavender was even more shocked than before. "I-I'll take you round I suppose, the client after you had to postpone, something to do with a biting kettle, and Mungo's, I don't know, the writing was pretty shaky, but then I've got a free slot and then lunch, so I guess that…we're good to go now."

"Cool. I'll be all right like this?" she said. "Like, I don't need to go put on my robes do I?"

"No, I go everywhere in Muggle clothes," said Lavender, indicating her pinstriped jacket and straight skirt, purple blouse and dark tights. "You'll be fine."

"What, just like that, I have a job?"

"Just like that."

She took the girl by the arm and turned on the spot. In a moment they were in the famous Atrium.

It had been renovated to its former glory after its short time under the Death Eaters. The golden fountain was back, as they passed Lavender dug in her pocket and pulled out one of her last few Knuts. She threw it in. After all, her social support gold would come in that week, and her allowance from the Ministry the week after. She could never repay Mungo's enough for what they had done for her, they had not saved her life, but saved a completely functional body for it to reside in. Okay, so she turned into a giant dog once a month, but hey, who didn't?

"Now, how do we get there?" she asked. Then she saw the lift. "Oh, over here."

They got into the crowded lift as an important looking witch and a small man in navy blue robes got out. It began to move.

A cool female voice announced the level and a few more Ministry employees stepped out. Then someone unexpected came in.

"Lavender!" said Ron, surprised.

"Oh hi. We're on our way to see your brother." She looked at Ron, dressed in a set of smart, clearly new dark blue robes.

"What do you want with George? He's in Diagon Alley. Oh, you must mean Bill? But-wait- he's not he either."

"No, Percy, you dolt."

Ron's brows knitted together. "What do you want Percy for?"

She indicated her companion. "Roisin's looking for a job."

Ron looked at the other girl quickly. "Oh, hi" he said. "I'm Ron." He paused. "Hey listen, Lavender, if you're bringing her over for dinner, Mum would be thrilled."

Lavender looked at Roisin. "You up for it?"

Roisin raised her eyebrows then said "Yeah whatever."

Ron just had time to say "Cool" before the two of them pushed their way out of the lift to the doors.

"What was that? You're living with him?"

She snorted. "No, with his family, just until I get back on my feet."

Lavender sniffed. Though her nose was not as good as it was before full moon, she could still pick up on individual threads, here a bottle of Ted Baker perfume put to good use, here a box of Weasley's fireworks had been pressed against the robes, here a dog had licked its owner's face. And there, where they were most concentrated, packed together like a tangle ball of wool, was the Department for International Magical Cooperation. Sitting behind a desk there, was Percy, as neat as ever. He looked up as they came in.

"Good morning Miss Brown. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Percy, can I call you Percy? Because, well, I'm living at the Burrow."

"You are?" he said, glasses slipping down his nose.

"Yes. And I have someone here looking for a job."

He suddenly caught sight of Roisin. "Ah, hello."

"Is it still open?" asked Lavender.

"Um, yes, I suppose so Miss-"

"O'Flaherty," answered Roisin.

"She speaks French." piped up Lavender.

"Ah, excellent, just what we need. Well Miss O'Flaherty, you'd be liaising in the European Department, mainly checking laws on emigration and importing."

"Great," said Roisin and sounded genuine.

"So, I suppose you can start tomorrow then. Nine o'clock. I'm sorry, I'm due for a meeting with the Minister in…Galloping Gargoyles, five minutes, if you'll excuse me." He turned back.

"You're seriously at the Burrow now?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "in Ginny's room."

He raised his eyebrows then Disapparated.

"Well, now you're employed." said Lavender happily.

Then, completely out of the blue, Roisin threw her arms round her "Thank you Lavender," she said. "Thanks a million. I was a wee bit dubious about this, but…" she held Lavender out at arm's length. "Will you come shopping with me?"

"Well, actually…today is my once a month day with the girls. It's to give them a boost you know? Confidence, a lot of people find it easier to be in a group. We go get a coffee, try on some stuff."

"Sounds brilliant," said Roisin.

And that was when Lavender knew she had just made a friend.

The girls they went shopping with ranged from fifteen to twenty nine, all incredibly shy or extremely domineering. Cathy, Susan, Polly, Beth and Flora met Roisin and the seven of them hit Muggle London.

Susan, twenty-one was having trouble with her boyfriend, Beth couldn't decide what colour to paint her living room. They were an odd bunch, and nothing alike save one thing.

They were all werewolves.

They went into a little coffee shop and sat at a round table, discussing life in general. Polly, a tiny little scrap of a thing, timid in every way, suddenly decided to turn the nattering in a more worthy direction.

"So how about you Lavender?"

There were murmurs and "yeahs" from all directions. Lavender shrugged.

"Same old," she said.

"No," said Roisin. "What about that guy you're living with?"

"What?" asked Beth, a woman cut out to be a mother, even though she was only twenty five.

Lavender felt her face flush. "I'm staying with friends. I was nearly evicted from my flat and the Weasleys, well, they're everyone's family."

The girls looked disappointed. "But…" began Flora, who was a little slow. "So there's nothing between you and this guy?"

"No," said Lavender. "Well, there used to be, but he's engaged to my friend now."

Cathy, only fifteen, living with her grandmother and home-schooled said "You mentioned a guy before. Seamus?"

"What?" said Roisin nearly spilling her hot chocolate. "Lavender, you-"

"No," she said firmly. "No. There's nothing between me and Seamus. Nothing. No thing. I want to make that clear."

She just didn't want another incident like Dean happening.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry if you think I'm overdosing on my own character, Roisin is necessary, but I don't want to make the story about her!!!

* * *

Roisin was the life of the party at dinner that night. She laughed with the Weasleys, especially with George, whose shop she frequented. She even managed to make Harry laugh a number of times, he had been a little down lately at Ginny's absence.

The night became pitch black and very cold, and Roisin decided to leave. But before she did she pulled Lavender aside. She looked at her closely.

"If these are what your friends are like, I think I'll send that Seamus lad an owl. But I want to know, what Cathy said, there's nothing between you is there? Because if there is, he's yours."

"No," said Lavender adamantly. "Like I said."

"You didn't seem too sure in the café."

This girl didn't miss a trick. Lavender sighed. "Look, there's way too much history. We were together when we were fifteen, sixteen, we went to the Yule Ball together. And then I broke up with him just before the OWLs, and then me and Ron…"

Roisin raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"

"Ron and I were together for quite a while. Then I broke it off. But by then, Seamus had gone off me, and I mean…for a bit of my last year in Hogwarts I thought…but I got the wrong idea I suppose, we just got close because of the horrible things…" Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"That's it. He's yours."

"No," Lavender shook her head. "No. Look, the other night I made a big mistake with another of my friends, and I don't want that happening with Seamus. So please, send the owl."

Roisin nodded her understanding, waved to the others and Disapparated.

The next morning Lavender was woken by Hermione shaking her.

"Lavender! Lavender! Get up, quick!"

"Hm?" She rubbed her bleary eyes and sat up. "What? I hope it's not a half price sale at Flourish and Blott's."

"No, much better than that. Come downstairs!"

"Just a mo," said Lavender and dug under her bed for a pair of jeans.

"Don't be ridiculous!" said Hermione, who Lavender noticed was in her own stripy pyjama bottoms. Lavender stood up, took a few halting steps then followed her to the kitchen.

Ron and Harry were sitting at the table with mugs in front of them while Mrs. Weasley bustled around the sink. The boys looked up.

"Post for you," said Ron.

Sitting on the table, she suddenly noticed, was a parcel.

"It came in Ginny's delivery," said Harry by way of explanation, waving a long roll of parchment obviously from Ginny. "Three school owls on it. That's yours." he said pointing at the brown paper parcel.

Lavender picked it up. There was an envelope attached. She opened it and read:

I'm guessing you already know what's in the parcel. Hermione sent me a letter explaining about Peggy. She was under your old bed. It's the Fifth Year dorm now, I got Natalie McDonald to have a look and she gave her to me.

Take good care of her.

I'm glad you're at the Burrow. As long as you don't mess up Ron and Hermione. I kid, I kid. But seriously, I missed you. That term we shared a room, I don't think I would have got by had it not been for you and Parvati. You're such a comfort, I bet Hermione's glad to have you back in our lives.

Anyway, when you have time, write me back, I want to know everything you're up to, and the others, because they won't tell, and Dean and Seamus and all your other friends.

A great big hug and kiss,

Ginny W. x

She ripped off the brown paper, to see a red frilly apron tied over a floral print dress and pinstriped tights. A bonnet trimmed in the same red and flowers covered black pigtails, tied with crimson ribbons. A wide pale face with long lashed pansy blue eyes.

"Peggy!" she cried and hugged her rag doll as tightly as she could feeling that now, everything would be alright again.

A few days later Roisin was back in her office for what would hopefully be her last appointment, if she was happy where she was.

"So." said Lavender. "How are you?"

"I'm good," said Roisin flashing a lovely smile. She was dressed in a set of slim fitting black and silver robes, she had just come from work. "You?"

"Much better." said Lavender. "Okay, this is your last appointment, if everything's going alright. Is it?"

"Yeah, it really is. The office is really interesting, I've got all my shifts and everything worked out, they've given me all full moons off and no one seems very bothered."

"And it's good work?"

"You bet it is. They're sending me back to Paris for Magical Fashion Week, to work out the exporting of designs and everything."

"Wow," said Lavender dumbfounded. "That's so cool." She shook her head to bring her senses around again. "And Seamus?"

"I want to talk to you about him."

"If you don't like him, I have a new client, this guy Adam-"

"It's not that I don't like him," said Roisin shaking her head slowly. "It's that he doesn't like me."

"Well, surely it's a bit soon to judge, you can't have been out more than once."

"The thing is, I know he doesn't like me, because he's besotted with you."

There was a moment's silence, then Lavender said "Eh?"

"It was all 'Lavender this' and 'Lavender that' and 'D'you know if Lavender's seeing anybody?'"

"And you said?"

"That you had hinted on something between you and a friend, but nothing had came of it."

"Roisin!" Lavender wailed and put her head in her hands. "What did you do that for?"

"Because," Roisin got up and went over to Lavender's chair, kneeling down. "You're spending your whole life fixing other people's lives. I'm not going to sit here and watch you wreck your own."

Roisin made Lavender send an owl to Seamus, and the next evening the Burrow had another guest for tea.

Lavender came in from work slightly bedraggled after a long day and an incident involving a very old werewolf's enchanted false teeth.

Seamus caught her in a bear hug twirling her round the kitchen. "Brownie!" he said, using the nickname he had always done. "I haven't seen you in absolute ages!"

"I've been busy Seamus," she answered, thrilled to see him.

"Not even time to write to me?"

She shrugged. "I didn't have much news."

"No news? What about setting your oldest friends up with crazed girls from Westmeath?"

"You didn't like her?"

"No I did. But, just, why?"

Lavender shrugged again. "She wanted to meet one of my friends and you were available. Don't worry, it shan't happen again."

"Good."

Ron piped up. "Keeping yourself available for 'The One', Seamus?"

Seamus very nearly blushed. He was nearly as freckly as Ron. "Yep, that's it." he said.

Hermione ever so slightly looked at Lavender. Then she turned to Seamus and said "Do you remember Peggy?"

Seamus looked up from the plans Ron had left on the table. "Peggy? You mean that fecking auld doll of yours that you made me hug when I failed Charms in Third Year?"

"Yes, Peggy." said Hermione. "See Ron?"

"See what?" asked Lavender.

"She says I'm the only one in our whole year who didn't know about her. But Harry didn't either."

"Well, the two of you. We forgot to ask Dean, but we lent her to him when he got the flu remember?" said Hermione.

"Yeah, Ron, the two of you are so clueless." said Lavender shaking her head.

Ron snorted and muttered something that sounded like "Oh, I'm the clueless one?" that she would have missed were it not for her wolf ears.

Chicken in white wine sauce and pasta filled Lavender up considerably, and the chocolate gateau afterwards. As always, the young people moved into the living room while Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stayed in the kitchen, tonight the wireless was on, and they were dancing jollily to Celestina Warbeck.

Seamus, like Dean, spent his time with Lavender. Hermione was working on an antidote for an unknown poison, Ron was giving her useless suggestions like beetroot juice, but Hermione giggled and snuggled into him as she wrote cleverer things down. Harry was writing what looked like a very long letter to Ginny, three rolls of parchment so far. Lavender would have felt lonely were it not for Seamus beside her.

She had forgotten how much she liked him. He was funny, charming and smart. Above all, he was kind and…sound, in every way. He took a real interest as well.

"So you managing by yourself then?" he said at one point about the office.

"Yeah." she sighed. "I'd love some help sometimes, but…"

"You know I'd be happy to lend a hand, like, if you needed it."

"Oh, Seamus it's hard work, boring, difficult, there are so many things I need to do."

"It couldn't be worse than Bath. They have fifteen of us on one spring. Fifteen! Come on, could I help for a day?"

"Well, I suppose, maybe a new perspective for the Quidditch teams…I've never played myself, I could use some help…this guy Adam wants to play professionally, but he can't get in anywhere."

"Adam?"

"Two years below us in Hogwarts. Ravenclaw."

"Chaser?"

"I think so, yes."

"I knew him a bit. And he wants to play professionally?"

"Yes, but none of the clubs will let him in."

"Then can I come in tomorrow, I'll help you with all the paperwork and everything." he suggested.

"What about Bath?"

"I'll send them a sick owl. Spending the day with you seems a lot more interesting."


	6. Chapter 6

So I'm replacing this cause something weird happened last time and all my editing disappeared...sorry!!

If it happens again, I'm sorry, but it'll have to wait til I find out how to fix it and get my punctuation marks back to normal.

* * *

So he arrived in her office in a pair of teal robes with Harry's cloak over his arm, bright eyed and bushy tailed. Lavender smiled to see how enthusiastic he was, how he thought this office was going to change lives.

He looked around the bare walls and said "Where are the pictures?"

"What pictures?" she asked.

"I don't know. Inspirational ones. Of famous werewolves."

"Finny, most werewolves were famous for eating people."

He clicked his fingers and turned to look at her. "Lupin." he said simply.

"That's a not half bad idea actually. Why do you have Harry's cloak?"

"In case I'm not wanted during an interview. He lent it to me. You were saying how some of them can be very private."

The day drew on. They spent the morning house-hunting with Maurice, a middle-aged werewolf wanting to upgrade, but unable to outside magical areas, and these had to be animal-friendly, so to speak. Then they went out to lunch with Susan and her boyfriend, happily reinstated. Then it was back to the office to trawl through the paperwork. Adam came in for the last appointment of the day, and Lavender kept quiet as he and Seamus talked Quidditch and rugby.

At last Adam left with promises of interviews with Puddlemere United and Chudley Cannons. Lavender stood up and stretched as Seamus began tidying away papers.

"How was that then?" she asked him.

He opened his mouth to answer then stopped.

Someone had knocked on the door.

"Come in," called Lavender.

There was no response. She went over and opened the door a crack.

"Are you alone?" said a small voice from a smaller woman under a hat.

Lavender said "Yes," unhesitating as she heard the swish that meant Seamus had pulled the cloak on.

The woman came into the room. In addition to the rimmed hat she wore a brown silk scarf around her neck covering her face. She wasn't short as much as slight, a wisp of a person. She shuffled when she walked, in small round-toed flat sensible shoes. Her body was covered by a long tan-coloured coat and in its depths she seemed to make herself even smaller, leaning over, almost crouching. She clutched at a faded old handbag and looked round the room with fearful black eyes. Then, very slightly, she pulled the scarf down.

"I need help," she whispered. Lavender frowned in concern.

"Please, sit down." The woman shook her head fervently. "I can't. He'll be looking for me. I'm supposed to be at the shops. He'll be looking for me. I shouldn't be here."

"Who? Who'll be looking for you?"

"My husband." the woman breathed, petrified. She collapsed onto the chair. Lavender knelt beside her.

"What's going on? Is he...is he hurting you?" The woman gave a tiny, almost indistinguishable nod. Lavender gently tugged at the scarf and gasped. There were blue and black bruises all around it.

"These weren't made by hand." she said bluntly.

She shook her head. "They're from the collar."

Lavender gasped. "You must get away." she said.

"I can't. Not without my things. Please. You must help me."

"I will. I promise. I'll come fetch you. But I need your name and address. Could you give them to me, do you think?"

"You'll come alone? I don't want to get him into trouble. I still love him."

"Of course he won't get into trouble. I'll make sure of it." said Lavender crossing her toes. "Now, what's your name?"

"Dorothy Emerson, Girthwood, Nast Lane, outskirts of Upper Flagley."

"I'll find it," Lavender reassured her. "As soon as I can."

"And you'll promise you'll come? You? Alone? Not anyone else?"

"There's no one else here to come. And I won't breathe a word to anyone. I'll get you out before next full moon. Do you have a wand?"

Dorothy shook her head. "He took it off me." she said tearfully. "When he found out what I was."

"When were you bitten?"

"Six months ago."

"Do Mungo's know?" She shook her head.

"I never went. Gerard treated me himself."

"But those scars need proper looking after, monitoring, treatment. You could have been poisoned."

"He was ashamed of me."

"Well he shouldn't have been! I've been working for YOUR rights Dorothy, and-" She stopped, as she saw tears welling up in the older woman's eyes.

"Look," she began again. "I'll come as soon as I can. We'll make arrangements for you. We'll teach Gerard about werewolves. Teach him mow to make the potion. Maybe you'll even be able to move back in with him."

"When? When will you come?"

"Soon," was all Lavender could say, turning her head slightly to where Seamus was standing, hoping he would agree with what she was planning on doing.

--

He didn't.

"Listen! This is crazy Lavender!"

"No, you listen to me, Seamus Finnegan. I'm not crazy. The world is crazy and I have to do something to help this woman!"

"But he could be dangerous. He might-"

"Might what? I'm not thirteen anymore Seamus! I don't need your protection from Sirius Black! I'm a fully-fledged witch, and I'll do what I like!"

"What if he beats you?" She gave a mirthless laugh. "Like I'm going there to duel. I'm going there to resolve a problem. And I'm quite able to overcome a middle-aged man! Or have you forgotten? Have you forgotten what happened at Hogwarts?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten- you were amazing, but this is completely different!"

"No, it isn't! It's exactly the same, and I'm going, whether with your blessing or not!" He blocked her exit from the Burrow. "Let me come." he said. "Please."

"No. I promised that I would go alone, so that's what I'm going to do. Please let me go Seamus."

He stepped out of her way, and said almost inaudibly "Be careful."

Those two words did more than a speech could have. Two, simple words that were so full of meaning. In a tsunami of emotion she simply nodded and made a vow to return to him with two more words "I will." She spun and Disapparated to the house Dorothy had named.

Girthwood was a tall, grey building by itself on the lane of small cottages. It was surrounded by long, green thorny weeds, already damp from the late night dew. Up above her, a half moon shone, in a cold and cloudless sky.

She pushed the creaking little gate open and picked her way through the nettles growing on the path in the dark. There was no breeze, but the air itself was icy, it seemed to clear out her nostrils and the sickly sweet taste of fear in her mouth.

The peeling door was locked. She unlocked it with a wave of her wand and a silent "Alohomora" and heard the lock click. She pushed it open quietly, though was silently praying. If Dorothy was right, Gerard would still be down at the pub.

The hall was unlit. "Lumos," she whispered, igniting the tip of her wand ever so slightly.

It was cluttered with broken pieces of furniture, dusty bottles, scraps of paper crinkled below her feet. No one had cared for this house in a long time.

She looked in the dining room, furnished only with a huge table, all the chairs having been sold. Cobwebs hung around the room, but it was clean, as if it had been emptied. So was the living room beside it, only a raggedy old sofa was left behind. Perplexed, Lavender went into the drawing room.

Immediately she knew that here, something was wrong. There were drawers and chests lining every square inch of wall, as if to make the room smaller. All the wood was scratched, the varnish lying in curls on the floor. The silk wallpaper too was slashed. The carpet opened up to reveal bare floorboards. And in the middle of the room there was a pile of desks and chairs, and it was from behind these there came a faint moaning. Lavender rushed over to find Dorothy, lying on the ground. There was blood dribbling down one side of her face and round her neck was a heavy iron collar, chained to the floor beneath the pile of furniture.

"He found out that I went to London," she said faintly.

"I'm going to get you out of here," said Lavender, trying hard not to let here voice shake. "I need to get this collar off." She pointed at the chains. "Relashio." she said but nothing happened. "Dorothy, I need to break the collar itself. Stay very still. If you don't, I could cut your neck and..." she trailed off and stopping her hand from shaking by holding it by the wrist she said "Diffindo." The collar broke in a clean straight line. Lavender wrenched in apart and lifted Dorothy's head out of it.

"You have to go Lavender. He'll be back any minute."

"I'm not leaving you here. Come on, try to stand up, that's it, come on," she used words of useless encouragement. "You can do it."

"No she can't." said a deep voice from behind her. Lavender twirled round. Standing in the doorway was a thickset man in faded clothes with long, ragged hair, and just as ragged a face. There were folds running deep in the filthy skin, folds of worry, fear and anger. And he smelt _awful_.

"She can and will." said Lavender training her wand on him. "You're lucky I didn't bring Aurors with me, It'd be straight to Azkaban if I had. It might still be."

He circled her, his wand trembling with the force of his temper. She kept her guard up. Then all of a sudden he screamed "Stupefy!"

With a wolf's reflexes, she dodged the jet of red light. It hit a chest of drawers behind her. "Protego!" she said, shielding Dorothy from his blasts. Then she turned on Gerard himself.

"Expelliarmus!" she shouted, remembering the first DA session she attended. Caught unawares, the wand flew out of his hand. With a roar of anger he pounced on her, knocked her to the floor. Her wand fell out of her hand as he dealt punch after punch. Then he picked her wand up from where it fell and pointed straight into her face.

"This'll teach you not to interfere in people's private life." he said, and for the first time since she arrived in the house, she was terrified for her own safety.

All of a sudden, a voice from behind his bulk cried "Pertrificus Totalus!" The wizard's body went rigid and fell to the side on the floor.

"No one hurts Lavender and gets away with it, no matter what age she is." said a voice as someone appeared from under an Invisibility Cloak.

She just had time to say "Seamus!" before a team of witches and wizards appeared in green robes to take Dorothy to the hospital.


	7. Chapter 7

Voici Chapter Sept! Bon appetit! C'est long...(yes, I know my French is horrible!)

* * *

Later in life, Lavender would remember that day as vividly as if she was living it. Especially what happened in Mungo's.

She had stood watching as they stripped away Dorothy's tights to reveal black bruised legs. She had even managed to look as a Healer dabbed the wand scratches on her arm with dittany. She was not particularly squeamish, she had even rebuked Parvati for being so in times gone by.

But when they unbuttoned Dorothy's blouse to reveal the shattered shoulder, looking the same as it had six months before, Lavender turned her head into Seamus' shoulder. Unlike her own scars, this was a mess of dead flesh and broken veins. Splintered bone stuck out everywhere and a huge chunk of the top of her arm was missing. The collarbone was weirdly distorted, pointing downwards, and when her torso was lifted up to show her back the tip of her scapula jutted out above everything, scraped clean of all nerves.

Seamus had led her away quietly to the Tea Room, shushing her gently and stroking her head as she sobbed. They sat down at the round counter rather than at one of the tables and he said "A tea for me, and as big a hot chocolate and slice of chocolate cake you can get for this one."

The waitress reappeared with just that. Lavender stared at the cake and shook her head. "I couldn't eat that." she said simply.

"You will. Trust me, it'll help with the shock. I'll help you," he answered and took a hunk of the top and put it in his mouth.

She smiled and nibbled a little piece herself. She took a sip of the creamy hot chocolate and said "Thank you Seamus. For everything."

He put his hand on hers. "Don't mention it. You're not angry that I followed you?"

"No. I could be dead if you hadn't. I guess I was just being stupid when I decided to go."

He gave a half smile, half frown. "You weren't being stupid, you were being brave."

"No. I'm not brave. You and Neville and Harry and Hermione. You're the brave ones."

"You're a Gryffindor aren't you?"

She sighed and looked into the depths of her mug. "That's the old argument. But I don't think so. Maybe I was when the hat Sorted me, but it did seriously consider Hufflepuff."

"The hat never lies. It wasn't judging the eleven year old sitting under it, it was judging the girl sitting in front of me. Look at you, you're fighting against all the odds, and what's more, you're winning. 'Cause you keep going. And that takes a feck load of bravery."

"I guess..."

"You know. And you know you know, and I know you know and that old man over there knows you know".

"There's a lot of knowing gong on then," she said with a hint of a smile.

"I know," he said and they both gave a single snort of laughter. They were silent for a moment and then Lavender said "I hope she'll be OK."

"She will," said Seamus, sounding very sure. "The question is, will you be? You're a tad shaken."

"I'll be fine." she answered. "Once I finish the cake, I'll be fine."

He smiled and squeezed her hand. She looked up at him. His reddish brown hair was messy as usual, sticking up all over the place. It had always been like that, but now it was long than before, trailing over his eyes. He shook it out and answered her gaze. His eyes were leafy green. She remembered what he had told her once back in Second Year. Green eyes were a sign that the faeries had touched a child. He had said it proudly, and Dean when he pointed out that fairies were creatures you wouldn't touch with a barge pole he had answered "I'm talking about the other faeries."

"What are you thinking about?" he asked quietly.

She shrugged. "You. Your eyes."

"What about them?"

"Faerie eyes, you used to say."

"Did I? Well, they're better than mud-coloured at any rate".

"Hey! Mine aren't mud-coloured. They're a rich chocolate-" She never finished that sentence as her mouth was covered with his.

They broke apart. Seamus looked rather pleased with himself. "I've been wanting to do that for ages.

"You can certainly pick the moment Seamus!"

"I couldn't contain meself." he said. She laughed and slapped his head lightly.

"You never change Finny," she said with a smile.

"I do indeed," Seamus said. "I would never dared to have done that a few years ago."

Lavender smiled. They finished their drinks and Apparated home.

--

The next day found Lavender standing at Bottom Bridge by herself, watching the fish below. Her wolf's ears heard footsteps behind her and she turned around to see Harry, with his casual good looks, green eyes glinting beneath the famous scar.

"What up?" he asked. "Hermione said you were down here. Thinking?"

"Yeah, I guess. Got a lot on my mind at the moment," she said tugging at her gloves.

"I'd ask what's wrong but that's more Hermione's job. But she said you were a bit out of it. Everything okay?"

"Yes. No. Sort of. Can I talk to you?" she said all at once. Harry looked bemused.

"Sure," he said, and led her round to the bank, where they sat under a tree and looked at the river.

Without waiting for Harry to speak, Lavender said "Seamus and I pulled last night."

"Oh." said Harry, clearly already out of his depth in the advice department. But he was better than both Ron and Hermione in this case. "So...you're together now?"

Lavender sighed. "I forgot, you don't know the whole story. You sure you still want to listen?"

"Ron and Hermione have gone into town, I'm all ears."

"Okay. Well you know how...way back in Fourth and Fifth Year Seamus and I were going out. And then I broke up with him in March."

"Yeah, I know, but that was ages ago."

"It's what happened after that." she said. He was quiet. "It was on Parvati's and Hermione's advice that I broke up with him. I kind of liked Ernie see? Then I went off him, and I fancied a load of people. Anthony, Dean, you..."

"You liked me?" he asked incredulously.

"Don't worry. Never again. Ever." she replied sternly.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically.

"Anyway, I finally settled on Ron. He was always so nice to me. We wrote loads to each other that summer. I know," she said seeing his expression. "I was surprised too. But when we got back in September, of course, there was a problem."

"Hermione." said Harry confidently.

"Partly. Of course, she didn't want me going out with him. She had liked him for ages, we all knew that. The other part was...well, Seamus. He had grown his hair and he was so ho-"

"Don't want to know Lavender," said Harry. She smiled.

"Right. Well, I was torn see? I didn't really want to go back on what I had decided and go out with Seamus. But I also didn't want to fall out with Hermione. But then, we had a round up of all our news and, well, she must have worked out who I had fallen for. But we didn't pay much attention to it, we were more concerned with Parvati because-"

"Her parents wanted her to leave."

"Right. So, the whole Ron thing took a back seat. Then all of a sudden, Hermione was asking what I was going to do, and...well, she kind of gave me an ultimatum. Either Ron or Seamus, and I had to keep her in the equation. Sort of, if I chose Ron, I couldn't change my mind."

"That doesn't sound like Hermione."

Lavender frowned. "Yeah, I think she was on her monthlies when she said it."

"Lavender! I don't need these details." he said.

She suppressed a laugh. "Okay. So I had a dilemma. Go back on everything I had said and choose Seamus, even though there was a good chance he wouldn't take me back, losing any chances with Ron, or choose Ron, losing Hermione and Seamus, though I knew for a fact Ron liked me too."

"And you chose Ron."

"Yeah. And that made everything worse between Hermione and I. I had betrayed her I guess. It took her far longer to forgive me than it did for her to forgive Ron. And now..." She rested her head on her arms.

"You didn't betray her, she gave you the choice." Harry said soothingly.

"But last night I took Seamus back." Lavender said feeling tears well up. "And she said if I did, and I had caused her all that grief with Ron for nothing..."

"But that was ages ago, wasn't it? She'll have forgotten it all by now."

"What if she hasn't Harry? She forgave me for going out with Ron, but not for choosing him over Seamus when she was my friend." A teardrop fell on the dark denim of her knee. Harry shuffled down the bank and put an arm around her.

"This is Hermione we're talking about. She forgives very easily, remember that. Oh, Merlin, don't cry!" he said as a sob escaped from her. "You and Seamus were always meant to be, you should be happy about last night."

Lavender lifted her head and looked at him. "You think?"

"I know. At least, I know that Hermione isn't going to stand in your way. Trust me. Besides, what about that year I wasn't in Hogwarts?"

A smile played around her lips. "Something nearly happened. Well, a lot of stuff nearly happened that year didn't it? We all nearly died at least once. We all nearly killed someone else. You nearly missed the whole year at school. The Death Eaters nearly won. Professor Trelawney nearly made up with Firenze. Hannah nearly eloped with Zacharias Smith."

"Really?"

"Ask her about it, I never did work out the full story, it had something to do with a banana and a pair of slippers... But the thing is, she didn't, and she doesn't plan on anything happening between them. So why should Seamus and I-"

"Because it feels right," Harry cut across her. "Like the first time I kissed Ginny. Remember I was in the same position as you. What about Ron? But it felt right and in the end..." He held his hand up as if to say Now look at us.

Lavender considered this for a moment. "You really think so?" she asked quietly.

"Yup," said Harry. "I really do."

"Okay. I guess I'll go along with it, for now. But don't say anything to Hermione, will you?"

"Not a word," he said, placing a finger on his lips. He stood up and grabbed her hand to pull her up too. "But Seamus is coming for dinner tonight, she'll probably work it out by then."

Lavender shrugged. "I'll leave it until tonight then."

Harry grinned. "You haven't changed. You always left things until the last possible moment. Remember that night in Third Year where I had to stay up with you all night to help you revise for Care For Magical Creatures?"

"And you fell asleep, and you broke your glasses when your head hit the table!" she said with a laugh.

Harry laughed as well. "At least I'm not as bad as you falling asleep when we were all visiting Dean in the hospital. You decided you wanted to go to bed too, remember? I can see Madam Pomfrey's face now, the look on it when she saw you fall straight on top of him and knock the breath out of him."

Lavender punched his arm. "It was not like that!"

"Yes it was!" he said dodging her playfully.

She ran up the bank after him and once at the top, panting, she said "And...thanks Harry." Harry put a hand on her shoulder. "What are friends for?"

--

That night, Seamus acted as if the events of the night before had never happened, until, after a last serving of fruit pavlova, he made his goodbyes and gave Lavender a farewell kiss on the back doorstep.

Her cheeks still warm she ascended to Ginny's room, where Hermione was already sitting, unbuttoning her blouse with a book on the bed in front of her.

"So I'm guessing wherever you were last night, Seamus was too."

Lavender blushed even darker. "Yeah."

"Good. Merlin knows it was only a matter of time." Hermione pulled on the long t-shirt she was sleeping in and slipped off her jeans. "Don't let him go this time Lavvy-girl." She clambered under her duvet. "I'm wrecked. Talk to you in the morning."

Lavender stood in utter amazement at the fact that the moment she had been dreading had happened without her saying a word.


	8. Chapter 8

Touch Wood this works (no, not Oliver, you SICK person). You'll know what I mean when I say it. BTW, sorry the Hallowe'en edition is late!

* * *

The week of Halloween opened with a burst as Seamus appeared in her office again. His job in Bath still thought he had the flu.

He embraced and they curled up in the chair together, giggling as they waited for Adam to come in for another appointment. He threw the door open and caught sight of them.

"Oh. Sorry." he said.

"That's alright," said Lavender, blushing slightly. They finished the appointment early, as Lavender couldn't stop giggling and could only use one hand as the other was slapping Seamus' wandering fingers under the table.

When Adam left with yet more forms to fill out about Quidditch, She threw herself at Seamus and squealed "You are so mean to me!"

"If I was mean would I do this?" he said and kissed her. She didn't reply, her mouth was occupied.

The door opened and Adam said "Sorry, forgot my broomstick, looking more awkward than ever. He picked it up and backed away as Seamus leant against the window and Lavender leaned on him with their arms round each other. Adam closed the door again. Then after an interval of five minutes, the door opened again.

"Actually I was wondering if you-why does it look like Play Land every time I come in here?" said Adam exasperated.

Lavender tried to break away from Seamus' iron grip saying "Sorry what do you want?"

"Roisin's address. But if you're too busy..."

"No I'll get it for you...Seamus let go of me!"

"No." he said adamantly.

"Fine. At least let me at my wand. Accio parchment and quill!" They flew towards her. "Seamus, let me lean on your chest at least. There we go."

She leaned backwards and stretched her hand out. Adam reached for it over the desk. Then without another word, he fled, as the two of them burst into tears of laughter.

--

Halloween itself came springing joyfully in as if it were springtime and not nearly November. Hermione and Ron had come in on the evening of the twenty-ninth to help her and Seamus put up their decorations. There were cobwebs on the ceiling and bats in one corner, and the walls were covered in skeletons. Lavender was for the first time in six months, proud of her office, proud of her work, proud of who she was and what she was.

She was twirling in her chair when she picked up the Prophet that the owl had dropped in the window. On the front was something about the Department of Magical Law Enforcement member's pay rise. She flicked through it scanning the headlines. Then she saw something that caught her eye. She stared at it in disbelief. No, surely not.

Then Seamus came running in. Forgetting the article, she stood up and he embraced her with such force that both of them went spinning and ended up back in the chair. Seamus knelt down and took her hands.

"I have a proposition," he said. The blood drained from her face.

"Not of marriage I hope?"

Seamus gave her a "you're crazy" look and said. "Of course not."

Her colour returned. "What then?"

"Well," he said, rocking back and forth with excitement. "How about we go to the Minister today and tell him a group of volunteer housewives is not enough support for your cause and you need a full time partner."

"Oh, and any ideas for the job?" she teased.

"Well, I was thinking," he answered raising his eyebrows. Then he looked her in the eye and said "How about it?"

Lavender turned her chair back to the table and tugged her hands away, looking at them. They had long fingers, covered in ink off the pages she was reading. She looked down at the Prophet on her desk, at the article that had interested her. A tiny little thing shoved into the bottom of a page, but it still cut as deep as it would if it were front page.

* * *

WEREWOLF RIGHTS: NECESSARY OR NONSENSE? 

People all over have all heard the tale of the young woman Lavender Brown, who fought against the odds and found her species place in the world. But yesterday, new evidence, an astounding and rather shocking story that shed a whole new light on the young woman's activities and made many people question the motives that are behind the hard and un- rewarding work she does, came in.

Violence was her agenda last Saturday, claims Mr Gerard Emerson of Upper Flagley, Miss Brown, 19, apparently broke into his home, breaking the protective charms around it and caused extensive damage there, injuries to himself and terror to his wife. Also with her was a school friend, Mr. Seamus Finnegan, 19, who came to the rescue bursting on into the house when Miss Brown was losing her fight. Mr Finnegan gladly finished off the job Miss Brown was fortunately unable to do herself, and he apparently was horribly cruelly inhumane while attacking Mr. Emerson.

"People should be warned. I don't know what they were up to," said Mr. Emerson in a statement, shocked and appalled yesterday. "That Brown girl suddenly just came running in and screaming that my Dorothy had been to see her and that she was coming to get her out. It's ridiculous, she says she wants to help, but this isn't helping at all."

These past two years, Miss Brown and her team of werewolves are well known for their fight for "werewolf rights," and recently the long standing Werewolf Registry was abolished in favour for Miss Brown's program.

"Let me just say, the Ministry seriously need to rethink," said Mr. Emerson. "Obviously this is a very unstable girl who needs to be handled carefully and is a perfect example of her race, they are dangerous and violent and should not be allowed in society."

* * *

Lavender did not realise that Seamus was reading over her shoulder, or how tight his hold on her chair had become. 

"How dare he?" he growled. "How dare he even-?"

"Seamus..." she said wearily. "This is why I don't want you working with me. This isn't the first of its kind Finny. I don't want to drag you down with me."

"But-" his face softened and his faerie eyes bored into hers. "I don't care about that Brownie. I don't care, if me friends know I'm a good person. I'm annoyed with this guy. How dare he even say that you were in the wrong? Anyway, how did he get out of the charges against him?"

Lavender shrugged miserably, though secretly happy Seamus was still supporting her.

"Who wrote this?"

Lavender shrugged. "It doesn't say." she answered.

"Right. Cancel all appointments."

"Finny, we can't, what, boycott the Prophet!"

"We're not going to. We're going over there and questioning them."

"But-"

"It can be our Halloween outing."

"But Maurice's acclimatisation-"

"It can wait."

"And Beth wants to talk about adoption."

"That can wait too."

"But-"

"For flip's sake Lavender!" he said, tugging on her arm.

They Disapparated.

--

Lavender had never been to the Daily Prophet before, and had she not been incredibly angry with them, she would have been amazed.

It was situated in a disused factory on the outskirts of Luton, a massive grey building with barbed wire fences around it. But inside it was stark clean, and well signed, with directions above every doorway and stairwell. On the walls were huge prints of momentous articles, both of Voldemort's defeats, and Grindlewald, the headlines stating the Weird Sisters had sold more albums than anyone, ever, Cornelius Fudge's resignation, Armando Dippet's and Albus Dumbledore's deaths were all there. They had decorated for Halloween as well, with pumpkins lined up in the centre of the ceiling. Around every corner was another wizard mumbling as he scribbled furiously. Quick Quotes Quills wandered through the air. Some people looked utterly bewildered. Seamus for some reason, knew exactly where he was going.

"How do you know where you're going?" she asked, skipping to keep up with him.

He looked at her. "You've honestly never been in here?"

"Er...no." she said frowning.

"You've never come to visit?"

"Visit who?"

He stopped. "She's never invited you here?"

"Who?"

He frowned "You honestly don't know?"

"Finny, what are you-"

"Give me the article." he said suddenly.

"What?"

"Let me look at it." She took the cutting out of her jacket pocket and handed it to Seamus. He snatched it off her and read it quickly.

"No way." he said.

"What, Seamus?"

"Look at this," he said, thrusting it at her. "The first word of each line."

"People astouding rewarding," she began. "Violence and the-Merlin's bloody corpse! Parvati Patil!"

She looked up. "Parvati was the one who wrote this?" she asked furiously.

"So it would seem." said Seamus grimly.

"Let me at her." said Lavender. "What way is she?"

"No, Lavvy-girl, don't get us into even deeper trouble than we already are."

"Why not? Why the flipping hell not?" she shouted. "She was supposed to be our friend Seamus! My best friend through Hogwarts! How dare she? How bloody dare she?"

"I thought you said you hadn't spoken to her."

"No, and now I flipping well wish I had, Merlin, would she have got a mouthful! Where is she Seamus?"

"Just calm down a bit, we'll go look for her." he said quietly.

"No need," said a quiet, refined and unmistakeably familiar voice. "I'm right here."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Because even the best of friends have fights. Let's hope yours don't go to these extremes guys ) And because even owls can have Malteser days

If I fail Irish tomorrow, I'm blaming you, I should be revising at the mo. But hey, I was going to fail anyway so oh well.

And I KNOW, it's a cliché that Padma likes to burn things.

Oh, and I will get round to fixing the glitch of the article in Ch.8 now, or at least try to so if you want to read it properly then maybe now's the time to do it ). Enjoy!!!

* * *

Lavender spun around, fists clenched, then paused.

For a year she had dreamt of punching this girl in the face, for the lack of support, the meanness, the discrimination. But now, she did not see any of those things, only the repenting face of an old friend.

Parvati looked good. She was wearing a pair of flowery, floaty sky blue robes, with a silver lining. Her hair was as smooth and silky as ever, arranged over her shoulders, her golden highlights glittering amongst the black. Her dark eyes were framed by a geisha's eyelashes under perfectly arched eyebrows. Her lips, pouted in a look of remorse, shone with pick gloss. She had huge oriental earrings hanging amongst her hair, a golden locket around her neck and her wrists were covered with the usual jingle-jangling bangles. She smelt of the musky perfume she wore and, like Lavender herself, of coffee.

Lavender hesitated.

In the time it took her to hesitate Seamus had grabbed her wrists and turn to Parvati. "What are you up to?" he growled.

"I wanted to talk to you Lavender." she said.

"Talk to me?" Lavender laughed mirthlessly. "What about the year you've had to talk to me?"

"I tried Lavender, Merlin I tried, but-"

"Oh I'm sure you tried, tried to get me into an interview did you? Tried to make me lose my temper?"

"No, I've been trying to talk to you for fourteen months!" Parvati cried.

"But what? You were too disgusted by me? What was it, shocked and appalled by what I was? Don't kid yourself Parvati."

"I'm not-" There were tears in her eyes. "What's happened to us Lavender? We used to be so close."

"What happened Parvati? You want to know what happened?" Her voice was low and deadly with poison. "What really happened? What happened was this!"

She had, that morning pulled a set of over robes over her skirt and V neck, she wrenched them open and lifted the side of her thin, tight fitting top to reveal the scarlet scars. Parvati winced.

"That's what happened Parvati. You always prejudiced no matter how much you pretended not to be. You couldn't bear the fact that your best friend had been bitten could you? So you just ran off home."

"That's not true, Lavender!"

"Oh isn't it? I don't remember seeing you when I was in the hospital. I don't recall your encouragement coming to me when I set up the office. I don't seem to think that you ever sent me a letter of congratulations when I abolished the Registry."

"I did come to see you in Mungo's! I did send you letters!"

"Perhaps we should listen to her Brownie," said Seamus.

"Fine. Let's see what she's got to say for herself."

Lavender sat down on the stair and crossed her arms. "What happened then?"

"I did come to see you in Mungo's, I swear I did. But you were asleep."

"That's convenient."

"I'm sorry Lavender, I should have come more, but I was more worried about Padma!"

"Padma? What happened to her?"

Parvati stared at her. "You don't know?" Then she looked at Seamus. "Through all your letters and everything you never told her?"

"I was expecting you to be writing to her."

"What happened to Padma?"

"She got hit by a Memory Charm at the same time as a Cruciatus Curse, and something unrecognisable. The result wasn't good. She lost the power of speech and everything. Mum and Dad took her to a place in Switzerland."

Lavender uncrossed her arms and looked at the floor. Poor Padma. She remembered the fun she had with both the twins. Padma was always the sensible one, but always ready for a laugh as well, her face was constantly lit up with the idea of a new excursion or a half price sale or the events of a good book.

"I-I didn't know."

"No, you didn't." said Parvati angrily.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You woke up at the end of August. I was sure you'd be coming back to Hogwarts. Then you didn't. I thought perhaps you were just late, maybe you were still being treated or something. I sent you a letter, I swear on my life I did."

"I never got it."

"I didn't know that. I thought you were ignoring me."

"Why would I ignore you? I sort of needed all the help I could get."

"Because...I...it doesn't matter."

"It does matter. Why would I ignore you?"

"Because of the battle. I left you there to fight for yourself."

"Parvati, you had to, Dolohov was right on our tails."

"Yes, but then Lupin's wife hit him from behind and...well I thought you were angry because I went in the other direction. We should have stuck together and I ran for it."

"I wasn't angry with you because of that." said Lavender shaking her head. "I never got any letters."

"But Ditsy has been to your place a million times."

"I wasn't living in my place! They kicked me out!" There was an awkward pause. Neither of them said anything. Parvati sat beside her.

"I honestly didn't know that. I thought you were just avoiding me."

"But the amount of times I put the address of my office in the papers? You must have seen it at least once."

"I did, and I did send you something but...well, Ditsy did always live up to her name."

"You didn't come to visit."

"By that time I thought you were just ignoring me." There was silence on the landing.

"What about the article?"

"I didn't interview him. It was all rubbish."

"But what if someone read it and decided to protest."

"They weren't going to. Remember I explained to you back in Fifth Year: hardly anyone reads page eight. Page seven is the interesting one. Everyone skips page eight. Except for you because-"

"I don't do anything by half measures. I remember." A smile hinted on her face. She looked Parvati in the eye. "You seriously sent me letters?"

"Yes! And you really never got them?"

"No!" said Lavender. She turned and looked at the girl. "You really don't think I'm a vile disgusting creature?"

"Lavvy-girl, you're my best friend, I could never think that."

"Am I still your best friend?" she asked.

"If you feel you can talk to me again."

Lavender frowned, then nodded. "I think I could do that."

"Oh I've missed you so much Lavender!" said Parvati throwing her arms around her.

"Me too," Lavender said. Seamus rolled his eyes.

"And Padma? Is she alright now?"

"She's fine now," said Parvati through sobs. "Just fine."

--

Parvati took them back to her place for Halloween dinner. She and her sister had rented a flat together, in typical Patil style it was huge and luxurious. The long walls were painted cream and hung with circular mirrors and wall hangings and tapestries. Strings of ornamental elephants and bells hung from the ceiling and the lamps gave of a heavy smell of incense. Along one wall someone had painted a huge fresco of an indigo sky and golden stars on one side, on the other a golden sun and turquoise clouds. Beneath this on both sides was a shimmering silver lake and beyond a huge castle with turrets and cloisters galore. On the sun side, there were figures running, lying casually under trees, swimming in the lake, eating fruit by the shore. On the other there were figures too, silhouettes, shouting and screaming, brandishing wands on the ground and on the battlements. Some lay disfigured on the ground. Lavender shivered.

"Do you like it?" said a soft voice. "I did it myself."

"Padma!" said Lavender turning around. Padma was there, hovering in a specially made chair. "It's good to see you."

"The fresco, do you like it?" she repeated.

"It's of Hogwarts isn't it? The normality and the battle."

Padma trained her gaze on the thick carpet. "Yes. The Healers in Switzerland said I should express myself through painting. I only finished it last week. You're the first people after Parvati to see it."

"It's really good," said Seamus encouragingly. "Fantastic."

Lavender winced as fear and anxiety passed through her nostrils.

She took a closer look at Padma. Unlike Parvati, she was worse for the wear. Her face was sunken in and her hair was lank. Her eyes had a haunted look about them as she watched from under her lashes. The special invalid chair was something Lavender had never seen before in the wizarding world, only in that of Muggles. Perhaps Padma was not as well as Parvati made her out to be.

"It isn't really of Hogwarts. It's of our lives. One is Parvati's, one is mine. Can you guess?"

"Yes. I think I can." Parvati looked between her three companions. "So Padma, do you want to help me with dinner?"

Padma hesitated then said "No. I don't think I will."

"That's alright, I can manage," said Parvati quickly. "What did you do while I was at work?"

Padma chewed the words in her mouth before answering. "Not anything important."

"You didn't do any more drawing?" asked Parvati moving into the kitchen.

"I did. I didn't like it though. I burnt it."

Parvati frowned. "With what? You haven't got your wand."

"You keep matches in the top left drawer. I saw you put them in there."

"But I would have liked to see your picture."

"No, you wouldn't."

"Oh, right then."

Seamus and Lavender grimaced at each other. This was much worse than they imagined.

Padma was staring intently at Lavender. "Parvati has a picture of you. And your picture was in the newspaper. Did you do something wrong?"

"Padma, don't ask people things like that!" said Parvati as she put something on to boil.

"Answer my question." said Padma ignoring her sister.

"It's not something I did, it's something I am." Lavender answered truthfully. Padma raised her head slightly.

"Then we have that in common. People think I am wrong as well."

There was silence save the bubbling of whatever Parvati was cooking.

"I'm going to bed." said Padma and turned the chair to go into her bedroom. Parvati stared after her in despair. The door slammed behind the chair.

"Oh, Parvati!" said Lavender rushing to her friend. "Why didn't you tell us? Are you coping?"

"Sometimes," she answered. "On good days. Today isn't one of them."

"And they don't know what hit her?" asked Seamus.

"Three curse specialists and not one of them knew what the third spell was." Tears welled up in her eyes. "They just say she needs time. But sometimes she frightens me. That painting. Can you honestly say that you like it?"

"Look, it's depression, or something. It's not magical, it's mental. They can't cure it?"

"There's no magical cure for mental illnesses. But we can't take her to a Muggle doctor, she grew up in the wizarding world."

"She'll get through it." said Seamus reassuringly. "If she's the Padma I know."

"But she isn't the Padma we know. She's someone else." A sob escaped from her.

"Don't cry Parvati," Lavender said, throwing her arms around her best friend who had been her enemy a few hours before. "Can't your parents help?"

Parvati took a deep shuddering breath. "Do you know how we managed to get this apartment? My parents agreed to pay for everything and give me an allowance if I just took Padma off of their hands. If I hadn't agreed, they would have left her in Switzerland. I couldn't leave her there, I couldn't leave her by herself, I couldn't."

"Of course you couldn't." Lavender said, and meant it. Suddenly she was not the only one with problems.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: So, this pretty much tells you what sorta of a mood I was in all week. At the start I was serious and poetic. Then I was a COMPLETE girly-girl and spent ages deciding on the perfect outfit. Then I was weird and very laidback and thought "I've written in depth about Fleur, now I'll have a bit of fun with her". Then I was in a totally random mood when I wrote the bit about the kitten. BUT, as rambling as this may be, it DOES have a point. And okay, maybe it doesn't fit with the others, but hey, if you don't like it, go away!!! Joke. I need all you lovelies sniffes and cries "You're the only friends I've got!"

So yeah...oh, and when she says Accio parchment and quill, that part caused me a lot of trouble, because instead of and I wrote agus, then I thought that isn't write and wrote et. sigh. But woohoo, multilingual!!! I wish...

So yup. I feel so light-headed at the mo, its hilarious. I think it's exhaustion...and APPARENTLY, I am not just part-Luna part-Hermione, I am also now part SIRIUS because I'm trying to make it look like I killed people??? Wow, is my life weird.

And a quote to brighten up your day:

"I'm wet and exhausted."

"That's so attractive." -My friends at break.

Now, I command you to READ ON!!!!!!

* * *

She made her goodbyes to Seamus and Apparated back to the Burrow, shocked to find everyone already in bed. It was Halloween! What were they doing?

She went quietly into Ginny's bedroom. Hermione was fast asleep. Lavender quickly slipped out of her work things and into her pyjamas and slept.

_All of a sudden, she was back in the Entrance Hall. Parvati was at her back, worried about the whereabouts of her twin. Beside her stood her favourite ever teacher, Professor Lupin, by his side a young woman with bright pink hair that refused to leave his side, though he shouted and begged her to.  
Shards of glass flew by them as a giant broke another window. Lavender bent and hid her face, in the privacy of her arms she gave a tearless sob. She was afraid of death. After everything she had sworn, everything she had promised Neville and the others, after all she had said of sacrificing everything for Harry's cause, the unlikely Gryffindor was still scared._

_Then all of a sudden, there was Dolohov, flying through the broken window straight at them, almost floating upon the force of his hatred. He landed on his feet. She and Parvati separated, scattering, Parvati towards the Great Hall, and Lavender to a secret passageway...one that Ron had shown her the year before, where they had spent so many happy evening strolls._

_Dolohov was on her heels. Then a jet of gold light came flying towards him. The pink haired witch shot Lavender a smile. Lavender paused and caught Parvati's eye as well._

_A wild man came running towards them, and the pink haired woman's smile vanished as her husband took a flying leap. He went straight into shaft of moonlight and turned into a streak of grey fur. The two werewolves clashed in mid-air, both once touched by the moonlight would remain that way until dawn._

_But Greyback did not seem interested in the other wolf._

_"Run!" screamed the young woman as Greyback began running to Lavender. She obeyed. She ducked behind the tapestry into the passage, up the narrow winding stairs. Greyback did not follow._

_She came out upon the next landing, searching frantically for a familiar face. She saw Parvati speeding past, looking up one of the staircases, where Dean was crying for help. Dolohov was standing again, running after her._

_There were so many people here, Lavender could not see anyone, and suddenly, she was engaged in battle with a masked Death Eater._

_And then she was falling, falling... A wolf came running towards her, and Hermione shouting "No!" was the last thing she heard..._

Lavender woke in a sweat, breathing heavily. From the window, golden sunlight told her it was morning. She was sobbing uncontrollably. She looked at the bed next to hers. Herrmione was gone.

As she took deep, trembling breaths to calm herself, the door opened.

"Hermione, I need to talk to you,"said Ron's voice. He looked at the empty bed. Hermione was not there.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play is it?" he muttered, then saw Lavender. "What's wrong?" he said.

"N-nothing," she answered. "A bad dream."

He sat down and put an arm around her. "Are you okay?"

As much as she wanted to say yes, she shook her head and pursed her lips. She had been crying far too much lately, and Ron was never very sensitive.

He put his other arms around her and pulled her into his chest. "Was it the battle?" he asked quietly.

She nodded and looked up at him. "How did you know?"

"Everyone dreams of it. I remember our first few nights back here, the whole house could hear Ginny sobbing. I think she still cries. I remember it too, but I suppose I've been through a lot so it doesn't affect me as much. I know some nights George refuses to sleep because he knows he'll dream of it. It's not something to be ashamed of Lavvy-girl."

She grimaced. "I just remember being so afraid and running, then all of a sudden I'm falling and Greyback's there. And Hermione screaming at him. That's when I lost consciousness. I woke up seven weeks later in hospital to find everyone hurt, or dead and my own parents not speaking to me."

"Really?"

"I saw them once before they kicked me out."

"But you're surviving well enough on your own now."

"Only because I've got you guys and Seamus. And Parvati too now, I guess."

"Was that where you were last night?"

She nodded. "Why weren't you guys up celebrating? You always loved Halloween."

"I...I sort of fought with Hermione last night."

"Oh. Worse than usual?"

"Yeah. Mum and Dad were at the Diggorys', it was the three of us and George and Alicia. They left early though."

"What did you fight over?"

"Well, actually, it was sort of over you." He shifted uncomfortably.

Lavender pulled away from him and turned her back. "I'll pack up now. Seamus might let me stay until I get my own place."

"No! It isn't like that! I don't want you to move out. It's just Hermione...I don't know, she's been acting weirdly ever since you got with Seamus and she says you're not part of the household and you've already caused so much trouble."

"Trouble in Paradise," said Lavender. "But why did you guys fight over me?"

"Well...she thinks that the only reason I want you to stay is because I still like you..." he trailed off.

"What? But, you don't, do you? I mean, the two of you are engaged and..."

"I know. But I can see where she's coming from. You are very sexy..."

"Thanks Ron. Only in long tops." She looked at him. "But that certainly isn't competition is it?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

"Hermione's the loveliest person I've ever known. So she's a bit hot-headed, but she's kind and loving and caring."

"She's changed I think. I don't know. It's silly."

Lavender put her hand on his cheek. "You're the one that's changed. You're a lot more sensitive than before."

"Really?"

"Really. And you've noticed Hermione's feeling uncomfortable. Wait." She turn and flipped onto her front, digging at the space between the bed and the cabinet. "Here we are. Where's my wand? There: Accio parchment and quill!" They flew from her bag. The quill was self inking so she wrote "From Lavender. And Ron. Because we said so." She placed the scrap on Peggy and put it on the baby blue duvet.

"There. Now she'll know we've talked."

"Great."

"Yup. Now, away with you. I have to get changed!"

--

She stood up and opened the wardrobe. She felt like dressing up today. She took out her little cream linen dress with the Chinese collar and capped sleeves, and double layer knee length skirt. It was her favourite. She grabbed her brown leather belt and fastened it round her middle and pulled on clear tights. She ran to the bathroom and fixed her hair and make-up, with a with flick of her wand she cut herself a fringe and layers that would grow out during the night, then threw on some eyeliner and black mascara and lip gloss. She shouldered her lovely brown felt jacket then looked around. Where were those shoes?

She went downstairs, thinking she may have left them at the back door. But no, she hadn't worn them since she moved here.

Where could they be?

She heard someone moving in the kitchen.

"'Ello," said Fleur Weasley looking surprised. "I thought zat everyone was gone."

"Er...no...I was just about... to...leave. Um, having fun?" she said eyeing the tub of ice cream Fleur was holding.

"Agh! Ever since I had ze baby, I have had zese...er...I think cravings is the word yes?"

"Uh, yeah I guess..."

"Yes, well, it was Bill's turn to shop and 'e 'as forgotten ze ice cream! So I come here instead."

"Right, well, er...you haven't seen a pair of very sexy brown boots lying around have you?"

Fleur frowned. "No. But 'Ermione was wearing a very nice pair."

"But she doesn't have-" she gasped. "The-" Then she stopped. "No. I will not call her a female dog, especially as I turn into one once a month. Okay, I better go and change. Er, nice to...see you Fleur..."

"Ah, you are wanting zese shoes? Oh, but I 'ave ze perfect thing! You are about my 'eight I think?"

"Em, yeah but I really have to get to work..."

"But no, you must come! Come! Come, come, come, come!" She grabbed Lavender's hand. "We cannot let you take off zat lovely dress."

Fleur turned on the spot and Apparated them both.

"Oh. This is nice," said Lavender surveying the living room of Shell Cottage.

"Yes, it is. Come upstairs! Be very quiet, we do not wish to wake up Victoire. Ah, zat would be bad indeed."

"Yes, I suppose." Lavender wasn't exactly sure why she was here. Surely she should just Apparate back and change?

"Here we are!" said Fleur and she opened a wooden trunk. "My shoes, yes? You are size seven too?"

"How did you know?"

"It is a gift. Ah, here we are!" She produced the most lovely high heeled soft leather brown knee boots Lavender had ever seen.

"Oh, they're gorgeous Fleur."

"Yes, it is a pity my feet have...swollen yes?" She wiggled a foot to show Lavender. "And now I cannot wear them if I do not want horrible blisters all over my feet. But you, ah...you have a good figure, zese will look lovely! Put zem on!"

"Alright..." Lavender sat down on the soft feather quilted bed and pulled the boots on.

"Ah! A perfect fit!"

"They're gorgeous Fleur."

"And just the thing for your work. Zey make you look...powerful, yes?"

"If powerful means about a foot taller then yes, I suppose so..." Lavender admired them in the full length wardrobe mirror.

"And only ze best. Zese shoes, my mother sent me from Paris. It is a brand, hmm, popular with Muggles, but it never really made it in ze witch's world. I don't know, perhaps you 'ave 'eard of it, you seem to 'ave good taste in Muggle clothes. Er...it is called Chanel?"

"Well, actually I buy this stuff second hand and make it look better. Cha-nel... no, is it nice?"

"Ze nicest. And very cheap too."

"Oh. I'll look out for it then. But now, I really must go, thanks for your help and everything."

"Ah! It is no trouble. I get so bored with only little Victoire here..."

"Cool. Well then, I'll see you."

She Apparated back to the monotonous carpet and heavy curtains. Seamus was waiting.

"You're late," he said. "Beth's outside."

Lavender opened the door. "Beth, I'm here."

"Oh look." Beth said turning around. "I found this little thing outside. Isn't he adorable?"

"Beth! You're so weird!"

"What?" she said defensively. "He's not dirty or anything."

"No, but it's a sort of rule of thumb that werewolves don't like cats..."

"But he's so adorable."

"See, you shouldn't really be saying that, you should be saying he's really annoying or he's really hard to catch or he can't sing."

"But I don't think any of that."

Lavender sniffed. "Beth, he stinks!"

Beth sniffed as well. "Argh! He does indeed." She dropped the kitten. "Right. Well, Lavender, this is my fiancé Henry."

Only then did Lavender notice the thin young man standing next to her. "Nice to meet you," she said and shook his hand. She turned back to Beth. "I'm sorry we couldn't be here yesterday but something came up..."

"That's quite alright. Was it that nasty article?" she asked.

Lavender turned to Seamus. "I thought nobody read page eight!"

"No one does read page eight!" said Henry.

"I do! So does Beth!"

"Correction, very few people read page eight."

"Yes! We are a minority Beth. Give me five!" They slapped hands.

"Henry works for the Prophet." Beth explained.

"Ah right. Well, please make sure you don't write any lies about me."

"I promise I won't." he said with a smile.

"Right, well, shall we get started then?" Lavender said.

"Sure. Nice shoes by the way..."

"Thanks. Have you ever heard of Chanel?..."

* * *

And yes, I know it's completely random...now click that little review button...just over there, and earn my eternal love...if you don't, well, the SIRIUS part of me is coming to get you...) 


	11. Chapter 11

11 REASONS MY UPDATE IS LATE:

1. English essays that the teachers forget to take in.

2. Writer's block.

3. Robin Hood

4. Strictly Come Dancing (admit it, you did a dance of your own when you found out Matt was still in!)

5. Doctor Who

6. Anything that happens to be on in between numbers 3, 4 and 5.

7. Love. In general.

8. Boys. In general.

9. Christmas cake

10. Christmas cards.

11. CSPE presentation which I didn't do.

So...yeah...but here it is... on time... sort of...and important to the story...sort of.

* * *

That night Lavender returned to the Burrow for dinner instead of staying out with Seamus. Turkey with roast potatoes and parsnips awaited her. She laughed with Harry, in a good mood following a letter from Ginny, and Ron, and talked to Mr. Weasley about his work, to Mrs. Weasley about the rest of the family.

But Hermione was strangely uncommunicative and barefoot.

After a slice of chocolate fudge cake, Lavender followed her friend upstairs. She opened the door just as Hermione read the note attached to Peggy. She spun round.

"Lavender. Hi," she said.

Lavender looked her up and down. "What shoes were you wearing with that skirt?"

"Oh, sorry, I borrowed of yours, I didn't think you'd mind." She sounded sincere.

"Okay, sure," said Lavender, sitting on her bed and unzipping Fleur's.

"Lavender," said Hermione sitting down and facing her. "I'm sorry. I was in a bad mood this morning, for a whole load of reasons. I'm sorry, I guess I blamed it all on you and Ron."

"Don't worry, we worked it out. Have you made up with him?"

"Not exactly. Maybe I'll go downstairs now."

"Maybe you should. No, no maybe, go. Now."

"Right," said Hermione, shot her a grateful smile and left.

Ah, the healing power of Peggy.

--

The next day when Lavender woke up the smiling rag doll was at the foot of her bed. She smiled as she looked at it and decided what she was going to wear.

She put on her violet top and looked in the mirror. She scrambled into her black trousers with She pulled it off again. She must be getting so vain, a few weeks ago she loved that jumper. But today it seemed too plain, too normal. Instead she put on a plain white collared shirt and dug through her drawers. There it was. The beautiful silk backed waistcoat that she had bought in September. Simply stunning.

She put it on and did her make up. She looked regretfully at Fleur's boots before putting on a pair of black peep toe heels. With a last volumising flick of her wand towards her hair she disappeared, Apparating straight to work and not stopping for breakfast.

Seamus was sitting there, at the desk, in a corduroy blazer and blue shirt, picking aimlessly at the cuff.

"You're looking charming," said Lavender going over to him.

He looked up and frowned. "Is any of that designer?"

"How would I know?" she said. "And why aren't I getting a proper greeting?"

He sighed. "Do you promise you won't go berserk?"

"Yes," she said slowly. "What's happened Finny?"

"Well, the Prophet was having a slow news day and..." he lifted up the paper.

The front page read

_GOVERNMENT MONEY GOING TO PARISIAN SHOES_

_New evidence shows that the Ministry of Magic may be putting unnecessary money into certain projects._

_Yesterday, Mr. Henry McAdams, journalist for the Daily Prophet paid a visit to the Werewolf Rehabilitation Facility with his fiancée Miss Bethany Walker. Miss Lavender Brown, 19, head of the facility greeted them in a pair of shoes that later that day Adam learnt to be made by a very expensive Muggle brand called Chanel._

_When they saw Miss Brown wearing the boots in question suspicions arose. Miss Walker had explained how lately Miss Brown had moved in with the well-known Weasley family because she could not afford to pay her rent, despite the allowance the Ministry give her each month to cover this._

_Miss Brown has been working for the Ministry for a number of months but recently has been mixing with the rich and famous, including Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, commonly known as the "Golden Trio." She has also been reported as being "in a close relationship" with one Seamus Finnegan, another classmate of Potter and survivor of the Battle of Hogwarts._

_When asked to comment officially, Miss Walker said "Lavender is a wonderful friend and I would not think she would lie about having money or not."The question of when the shoes were bought is irrelevant, as they are of a design that only appeared last month._

_Miss Brown was unavailable for comment._

Lavender smiled as she read this and turned to Seamus. "Send Henry a thank-you would you?"

Seamus frowned at her. "Are you sure you read it right?"

"Oh I'm sure," said Lavender walking casually to the window. "And he kept his promise. He did say he wouldn't tell lies. Ah," she said, surprised, looking down. "On that note, send him two thank-yous."

"What? Why?" He jumped up and looked out the window as well. "Brownie there's a mob outside!"

"I wouldn't call it a mob." she said shrugging. "Mobs don't spend that much on cameras."

He looked more confused than ever.

"Look!" she said pointing. "They're setting up. They're not a mob. They're the paparazzi."

He frowned. "And that is a good thing why?"

"It means," said Lavender sitting in her chair. "That we are finally on par with our classmates."

"You've lost me." he said bluntly.

"Finny," she said taking his face in her hands. "Those people are out there because Henry just made me a fashion icon. We're celebrities."

Seamus looked utterly confused.

"Look," she said. "Henry probably agreed to come so he could get a story out of it, right? But he looked like a nice guy, and Beth is a good judge of character, she wouldn't be engaged to him if he wasn't."

"I'm even more lost." he said bluntly.

"He never meant any harm by this article. He knew what response would come from it. He's made me someone to be admired for having good fashion sense."

"And shunned because you're wasting Ministry money."

"But if that's what people think, I can make them change their minds! Finny don't you see?"

"I really don't."

She sighed and looked at him adoringly. "You really don't understand do you?"

"No."

"Look, it's all good. Beth and Henry will be back tomorrow for their appointment. Just, let things run their course?"

"Wait..." he frowned. "How are you so sure that he doesn't mean harm?"

"Please, I spent seven years best friends with Parvati. I picked up some things about how the Prophet operates."

"And the mob outside the door? What do we do with them?"

She turned her whole body towards him. "How about we go out for lunch? Meet up with Ron and Hermione?"

--

So that was exactly what they did. Seamus looked amazed as the people outside reacted just the way Lavender had said. They did not question them, only snapped pictures of them, click flash click flash.

"Brownie, you're a genius," he said.

"No. Henry is." she said with a smile.

They met Ron and Hermione looking slightly confused on the street corner.

"Er, Lavvy-girl, what's going on?" asked Hermione, indicating the crowd of photographers.

"It's funny," said Lavender.

"What's funny?" asked Ron.

"We're famous," she said. "Does no one else find that hilarious?"

"Brownie, I hate to tell you, we've been famous for a while now." said Seamus, completely changing his tune.

"Yes but I only just realised," she said. "We're famous."

She looked at the others. "You seriously all knew that already?"

Hermione and Seamus looked at each other and shrugged slightly. Ron cocked his head to one side and surveyed her.

"D'you know, I never really looked at it like that." said Ron.

"Oh for God's sake Ron." began Hermione.

"No, Lavender's right. We're the young and famous."

Hermione ruffled his hair. "You are so silly sometimes?"

"Come on, let's celebrate!" he said taking her hand and running a little way down the street. They stopped and turned to look at the others.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked with a smile.

Lavender looked at Seamus who grinned. "He's right. You both are. Everyone wants to be us. Warts n' all."

She smiled. "Fangs and all?" she inquired.

Hermione and Ron were walking back. Hermione put a hand on her shoulder. "Fangs, and claws, and fur. Hairy is in this season, didn't you know?"

"Fangs and all Brownie." said Seamus.

"And if you can dye your hair red all the better," said Hermione.

Ron looked at her. "You know what I just realised?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What, Ronald?" It was funny how she used his full name as his pet name.

"Well, my whole family! We're, well, celebrities."

"You're the Osbornes of our world, yes Ron." said Hermione.

"The who?"

She looked round. "Where are Dean and Harry when you need them?" she said exasperated.

"Oh, right," said Lavender as they began to walk. "She's having one of those "I'm a Muggle-Born, woo hoo" sort of days isn't she?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "I only just managed to talk her out of setting up a society called "Mudblood and proud of it". I told her SPEW was enough."

"Ah yes." said Seamus. "The good old days of "spew."

"It's-" Hermione stopped as she blushed. "You know I still plan on going ahead with that."

"Of course sweetie." said Ron patting her head.

"So where are we eating?" asked Seamus.

"Let"s go somewhere famous!" said Lavender twirling on the spot. "Who's up for the Ritz?"

--

They are in very posh, very famous surroundings and happily went back to their respective workplaces, Lavender watching closely as a hiding entourage followed her and Seamus at a distance.

"This is nice," said Lavender. "I've never felt so loved."

"Because obviously, spending seven years surrounded by people who would die for you and having a caring family doesn't even compare to a load of old photographers."

"Myeh, family and friends are overrated. Now, loved by the masses, this I could get used to!" She turned round and gave one of the photographers a coy little wave.

Seamus rolled those glorious eyes. "I can't believe you and Ron didn't work this out 'til today. Fools seldom differ, that's what Mam used to say."

"Great minds think alike. Birds of a feather flock together." she retorted.

"Well, if that's what you think, I'll guess I'll leave you to it," teased Seamus.

"No." she said grabbing his arm. "But honestly, I've never seen photographers before."

"Well, I guess now you're a fashion icon, you'll be getting a lot more press."

"That means you will be too, whenever you're with me." she said. She stopped suddenly. "You realise what this means?"

"What does this mean?"

"This means that as soon as we've finished our appointments, we have some urgent shopping to do."

--

It was Seamus' idea to take the Twilfit and Tatting's, Madame Malkin's, Topshop and Morgan bags (mostly courtesy of Seamus,) back on the Tube to the outskirts of the city so it was not so far to Apparate with so much baggage.

Seamus was quiet on the journey out. Lavender read the adverts above them three times through thoroughly and looked in all her bags (at the lavender silk robes, the black sequinned dress, the teal cloak and the snazzy red shoes) before asking.

"What are you thinking?" she inquired.

"I've been thinking about what you said earlier."

"What did I say earlier?"

"About being loved by the masses."

"And?" she asked.

"And," he looked at her. "I've been talking to Ron and he's been saying what a wreck you were when you first met him. It's been what, a month, a month and a half?"

"Ugh, don't remind me, full moon is in two days, usually I'd be dragging by now. On that note, I need potion."

"No, it's nothing to do with that. It's just...you've changed so much since then. I don't know how, but it's amazing, we've all seen it."

"Finny, what are you getting at?"

"What I'm getting at is, I want to meet your parents."

* * *

Yes, that was the point of the whole chapter! Sorry :) 


	12. Chapter 12

AN: I swear, the pointless chapters are the funnest to write! In justifying writing this:

a) I'm giving Lavender a break from Seamus.

b) I'm painting a portrait of the family she's found in the Weasleys before I introduce her own family.

c)I'm giving George and Bill some well deserved time in the spotlight

d) I'm writing this for fun. We all feel awful in the mornings and then suddenly happy. I'm showing the power of RASHERS woohoo!

[Oh flip. according to Wikipedia (haha, COMPLETELY trustworthy) rashers is a term only used here, Britain, New Zealand and Australia. Whoops. well, a rasher is a slice of bacon, in case you're not from one of those places. That's your piece of foreign culture for the day. And if it is used in other places, correct Wikipedia! NOW! lol xx

* * *

Full moon had passed. Lavender had spent the days curled up in the patch that the Weasley kitchen window allowed light through, satisfied by the moonlight which was oddly comforting and warmed by the weak November sun. One night, she could have sworn there was someone lying beside her, an arm thrown over her furry side.

She woke groggily finally, back in human form and tripped into the shower. The warm water seemed to wake her slightly but she still couldn't get used to the idea of opposable thumbs. She was not feeling as good as she had been this time last month.

She threw on some clothes and stumbled downstairs to breakfast. It was a Saturday and everyone was home as well as some visitors.

"Lavender! Nice to see you!" said George getting up. "We missed you on Halloween."

"Hi," she said. "Hi Alicia."

Alicia shot her a smile. "How're you?"

"Agh , horrible. Full moon just ended,"

Alicia grimaced. "Ooh. You okay?"

"I will be once I have some bacon." she said with a smile. "So, you're living with George at the moment?"

"Yup," said George. "It's great fun you know, last night we-"

"Did you say bacon Lavender dear?" said Mrs Weasley very loudly.

"Oh, yes, thanks." she said.

"Mum's embarrassed by you Lissa dear." George said.

"Do not be mean." said Fleur appearing out of the living room with little Victoire in her arms. "Alicia, you are very wise and very beautiful and your boyfriend is just cruel."

"You're just in a bad mood because we rearranged your dining room." said Ron.

"Pah," said Fleur. "I theenk that 'made a mess of with Decoy Detonators' is the correct term yes?"

"You know she has a far better grip on the language than she lets on," muttered George in Lavender's ear.

Lavender smiled at him. "So, is anyone going to Hogsmeade today?"

"We were thinking of it." said Ron. "Why? Are you and Seamus going? Only it's a weekend out of Hogwarts, we're going to go see Ginny."

"I might tag along." said Lavender.

An awkward silence reigned over the table. "What?" she demanded.

"It's just that, well, we thought you'd be going somewhere with Seamus." explained Hermione uneasily.

"Well, I'm not. I don't spend every second with him you know." she said coldly.

"Is, er, is everything alright between you and Seamus?" ventured Ron.

"Everything is fine, thank you." answered Lavender.

Harry let a snicker out into his bowl.

"Déja vu," breathed Hermione. "Or is it just a werewolf thing?"

"What's a werewolf thing?" Lavender asked.

"It's just, that's exactly what Remus said when Tonks was pregnant," Ron said, then looked at her expectantly.

"Oh gawd, I'm not _pregnant_!" said Lavender, nearly laughing. "It's nothing like that."

"Good," said Ron, looking slightly relieved, as if for the moment Teddy and Victoire were enough.

"Then what is it?" said Alicia softly. Alicia, who had always been a friend and protector for all the Gryffindor girls below her, who everyone looked up to and were never afraid to confide in.

Lavender sighed in frustration about telling them all. "He wants to meet my parents."

"Ah, don't worry, didn't I just say I had exactly the same problem with Lissa?" Alicia elbowed him and smiled.

"I haven't spoken to my parents in two years," Lavender said bluntly.

"That could cause problems, admittedly." said Bill. "But I had no trouble bringing Fleur home."

"It's not I'm embarrassed, or that he particularly wants to meet them. It's just he has this obsession with me and living beyond the wolf, as he calls it."

"But isn't that what you're doing, helping Roisin and Adam and the others 'live past the wolf'?" asked Hermione.

"It's personal, okay? It's nothing about being ashamed, or anything. It's just, I don't want to see them."

"Right. So you're just not talking to Seamus in the meantime." said Harry. "You know, this really must be a werewolf thing."

"Would you stop saying that? Back me up on this Bill!" she said, looking at the eldest Weasley child.

"Well, I can't say I'm actually following the conversation," he said cocking his head.

"Neither am I," said Mrs Weasley dropping bacon onto Lavender's plate. "Although, Lavender dear, I do feel that perhaps you should make up with your parents. I know how painful it can be." Her face creased.

Lavender looked around the table, puzzled.

"Mum and Dad excommunicated Percy. But now he's back, of course." Ron said.

"Soon to be married!" exclaimed Mrs Weasley.

Lavender coughed. "I didn't know that. Him and Penney?"

"You remember her?" Mrs Weasley, "Oh, you are sweet."

George smirked. "Percy was always Mum's favourite."

"Don't be silly I don't have favourites." Mrs. Weasley said.

"She always liked the prefects." George continued.

"Well considering five out of se- six of you were prefects." she said, stopping short, stumbling over the number six. Lavender looked into her plate and waited for the moment to pass.

"So, Hogsmeade." said Ron.

"Right." Harry said, quickly latching on to the new topic.

"I'll go get my purse, just a mo," said Lavender, stuffing bacon into her mouth.

"You do realise that that is incredibly rude?" said George conversationally.

Lavender swallowed hard and waved her fork at him. "I have the appetite of a wild animal. I'm allowed to eat as much meat as I like."

"I will back you up on that one," said Bill as his mother tipped sausages onto his plate.

"Ah, Bill, 'e is always eating, eating, eating."

"Exactly," said Lavender. "And plus, full moon just ended."

Bill grinned at her. It was funny how little she had ever spoken to him, but she suddenly felt as if she had always had a friend in him.

"Right," she said, shovelling two more rashers into her mouth and chewing at top speed. "I'll just go grab my purse."

"Why?" said Harry.

"To have money for going to Hogsmeade." she said slowly.

Hermione sighed and looked at Harry. "I told you, Ron and her still don't get it. Darling, when you're as famous as we are, you never pay for anything. Especially if you're in the habit of hanging around with Harry."

Lavender smiled. "Oh yeah. In that case," she nabbed a sausage off Bill's plate. "When are we going?"

"You can go once you give me back my food!" said Bill reaching for it again.

"No!" she said standing up. "Mine!"

Bill stood up as well and pretended to jump at her. Lavender shrieked and ran to the back door, stuffing the entire thing in her mouth as Bill ran up behind her.

Behind them Hermione said "She sure has mood swings."

--

"I haven't been to Hogsmeade in an age!" Lavender said twirling around in the pathway.

"Lavvy-girl!" said Hermione. "Anyone would think you're a hyperactive Third Year on your first visit here."

"I feel like a hyperactive Third Year!" she said laughing.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're mad."

"Look! It's Luna! Luna!" Lavender cried.

Luna caught sight of them and smiled. "Hello. You haven't seen Dean anywhere have you?"

"No." said Lavender. "Missing him?"

"Rather. Anyway, he said that he couldn't wait to hear about my experience with the Giant Squid."

She smiled vaguely at the others and said "Hello Ron." and left.

Ron looked puzzled, but he smiled. "I love Luna." he said.

"There she is!" Harry said, catching sight of a flash of fiery hair. "Oy! Ginny!"

"Ah young love." said Ron watching his best friend swoop his sister into an embrace. There was some clapping in the square.

"Who want's to go pay a visit to Abe?" Ron asked.

"Abe is so cool!" Lavender said. "Let's go!" She grabbed him by the gloved hand and dragged him and Hermione to the Hog's Head.

"Seriously, did Bill feed her something?" Hermione hissed. "She was depressed this morning."

"I see no reason to remain depressed." Lavender said. "Look, Harry and Ginny are following us."

Sure enough, the most famous couple in Hogsmeade were coming after them, their faces glowing.

"Hi!" said Ginny brightly hugging Hermione and Ron. "Hey Lavender!" she said. She became very stern. "You had better not have redecorated my room."

"I love it just the way it is!" Lavender said.

"We think your eldest brother put something in her sausages." Harry said to her.

"We're never giving her rashers again." Lavender stuck her tongue out at Ron. "I just didn't feel well this morning. You ever tried having a skull the wrong shape for your brain?"

"Ouch." said Ron.

"Anyway, I thought we were going to go have a chat with Abe?" Lavender said.

"How do you have so much energy?" Ginny asked. "Me, I'm exhausted. But sure, I'm up for it."

Lavender pushed the door open. "Hey Billy!" she said to the goat at the entrance. "How're you? I've missed you."

"She knows the goat?" Ron muttered.

"I used to come get supplies for the Room of Requirement. Of course I know the goat. Hey Abe!" she waved to the sullen bar man. The occupants of the inn seemed a little disquieted by the presence of someone who had enough energy to speak that loudly.

"Lavender," said Aberforth gruffly. "I see you're well. Wasn't it full moon?"

"Was. Isn't anymore. So what up here?"

"I've still got blasted kids coming through here most evenings. It's all yours, and hers," (he pointed at Ginny) "and...where's the Longbottom boy?"

"Neville didn't come with us." Harry said.

"We're sorry Abe. It should die out in a couple of years," said Ginny.

"Hmph. I reckon I'll die out before it does."

"Well that wouldn't be surprising." said Lavender.

Aberforth flicked her head. "In my day young people used to respect their elders."

"Times have changed." said Ron, clapping the old man on the shoulder. "Sorry mate."

"Ah, kids." [AN: has anyone else wondered why Aberforth is like, the only one to say kids? Think...goats!

Aberforth grunted and wandered off. "That'll be Butterbeers for all of you then? On the house."

"Yes please," said Hermione and whispered "See?" in Lavender's ear.

They pulled chairs up around a table and sat there, laughing and joking. Aberforth came over and gave them the Butterbeers himself, sitting down and having a break to mutter at them.

Eventually Ginny, glad to be out of school wanted to go and have a look at the shops and the party broke up. Lavender, off her "rasher high" as Ron called it but still in a good mood, pulled on her coat and gloves and was fumbling with her scarf when she bumped into a woman at the door. The woman dropped her handbag.

"Oh, _sorry_," said Lavender bending to pick it up. She handed it back to the woman and looked into the petrified face of her mother.


	13. Chapter 13

SORRY! Ahem as some of you (ie. Q8iya) have noticed, I've got into the habit of procrastinating... and not just about maths homework... anyway I wanted to make this whole chapter flow... I don't know, I quite like it...

With regard to Lavender's family... in my eyes she's a half-blood... Wizard father, Muggle mother... she has a little sister who has just started in Hogwarts...

* * *

Neither of them spoke for at least a minute. Behind her mother Lavender could see her friends staring. She looked her mother in the eye. They were similar to her own, dark blue and round set into a dark face. Her mother's mousy hair had gone wispy, grey at the roots. They were as skinny as each other. Violet Brown (whose name was even more unfortunate than her daughter's) was wearing a faded floral print dress and a brown cardigan, red lipstick and a look of sheer horror.

Lavender looked around the bar and back at the others. Hermione gave an encouraging smile. Ginny shrugged. Ron looked uncomfortable and Harry looked as if he didn't know what he should be looking like.

Lavender looked back into her mother's eyes. Then very slowly and deliberately, she slapped her across the face.

Her mother didn't speak as she passed the threshold to join the others.

"Lavender..." began Hermione.

"Don't," Lavender warned. "She deserved that."

"Wow," said Ron slowly. "You and Hermione should start a fight club. Remember that time you punched Malfoy-" Hermione elbowed him and nodded in the direction of Violet. She was standing staring at the group. Lavender stepped forward.

"What's wrong? Would you like Harry's autograph? I'm sure he'd give it to you if you stopped staring. Or would you like to talk to Ginny about the cover shot of Witch Weekly she gave? Hmm? Hello? Can you hear me?"

"Lavender," said Hermione again. "Come on, maybe we should go."

Lavender was almost happy to see tears welling up in her mother's eyes. She turned away and took Hermione by the elbow. The others followed silently. Then she heard her mother say "I miss you."

She spun round and said "You miss me? After all you've done all you can say is you miss me?"

"Why don't you come in and have a drink with me?"

"A drink? I think it's going to take a hell of a lot more than a drink to work things out Mum."

"Perhaps we should go," Harry muttered.

Lavender's ears picked it up when someone else's might not have. She turned around and looked at them. They all stood nervously.

"I'm not about to explode," she said softly. "But you can go if you want."

She turned back to her mother and sighed. "Look, I'll have a drink with you but that does not mean you are forgiven."

She heard the others moving away and she turned "And Ron? Fight club?" She rolled her eyes at him.

He shrugged. "Well what was I supposed to say?"

"We'll meet you at the end of the road. Snuffles' gate."

"Whose gate?"

"The gate at the end of the road."

"'Kay," she said. Then she turned back to her mother. "Well go in then."

Aberforth looked at her with an odd expression. "Back already are we?"

Lavender gave him a stony look. "Abe, this is my mother, Violet. Mum, this is Aberforth Dumbledore. He's helped me out a lot. Not that you care."

Lavender pulled out a chair and sat down, folding her arms. Her mother looked at Aberforth uneasily. "Um, two Butterbeers please." she said.

"Not for me, thanks Abe." Lavender said without looking at him. Her mother turned to her and taking a deep breath she sat down.

"This is nice." Violet said looking at the surroundings. Lavender looked at the splintering wooden bar, the cobwebs, the hooded guests and the goat and then back at her mother. "Come here often?" Violet asked.

"What are you doing here, more to the point? You hate Hogsmeade, you always have, any wizard settlements Mum, you always used to wander around London when Dad took me to Diagon Alley."

"I-I started coming here last year. Well, not here exactly, The Three Broomsticks," she leaned over the table and whispered "Which is a far nicer spot, what's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"

"What's it to you anyway?"

"You're my daughter Lavender, it's everything to me."

Lavender gave a mirthless laugh. "Please, don't try the affection card."

Aberforth appeared with the drink for her mother. Lavender made a face of despair at him.

"You want to be careful," he said to her mother. "This one has some temper on her."

Violet nodded wordlessly. Lavender sniffed. "You think you would have gotten new perfume after all this time Mum."

"You can smell it from there? I only put a little on."

"You see, that's exactly what I'd expect you to say. Never think for a moment it could be something of my own achievements. Couldn't be an enhanced sense of smell on the day after full moon could it?" She wanted to bring this issue up as soon as possible. Her mother looked a little shocked.

"I didn't know. You-you are safe aren't you?"

"Safe?" said Lavender. "Well, no one looks like they're about to attack me and I'm a damn good dueller so I'd say I'm safe."

"No, I mean you're not going to, you know, transform?"

"I knew it," said Lavender. "You're frightened of me. You and your little Muggle ideals, you're frightened of what your daughter has become."

Violet bit her lip. "Muggle ideals? You've never complained about that."

"You have a problem with what I've become Mum, why shouldn't I have a problem with what you've always been? What you still are, no matter if you've started coming in to wizard pubs, you still haven't an ounce of magical blood."

"Lavender let me explain." she began.

"Explain away then, oh mother mine." She folded her arms again and looked at her. Violet was surprised about being in the hot seat.

"Lavender, our area isn't magical, what if you were to transform and attack someone? There'd be no known cure, no way of defending themselves."

"There's no cure for werewolf bites anywhere, I told you that." Violet winced. Lavender grimaced. "Go on then."

"But if you attacked, we'd have to move away, and you'd wreck someone's life."

"I'd wreck someone's life? And you never thought that perhaps, sending away your eldest daughter whose life had been wrecked by a vicious sadist during a battle she thought to save thousands of people's lives, you never thought that it would be worse to wreck her life? Besides, didn't I tell you there were ways of keeping the wolf at bay?"

"But what if you forgot to take the potion?"

"Forgot to take- do you honestly think I'm that stupid? Do you really think taking that potion is something I'd forget?"

"You never know, you might-"

"Mum, I'm not nearly nasty enough, I would never, ever, attack someone."

There was a pause. Lavender looked around the pub. Most of the customers were uninterested, but there, in the corner, sat a woman with elaborately curled hair sucking on a green quill, parchment in front of her. With a flick of her wand, Lavender summoned the parchment which Rita Skeeter failed to catch. Lavender looked at it in disgust. It told how a group of the young celebrities came into a dodgy pub, and it was there "England's most scandalous werewolf of the day" had a fight with her mother. Lavender ripped it up and shot Rita a pair of dagger eyes.

"One of those, ahem, young celebrities is Hermione Granger, whom I'm sure with a bit of persuasion would be only too glad to give the Prophet something, er, scandalous to write about if I asked her. Sketch!"

Rita paled, then began hurriedly packing away her bag. Lavender turned back to her mother.

"What was that sheet about?"

"About the lives of the rich and famous." Lavender said. "But of course, having never read either the Prophet nor Witch Weekly, or even the Quibbler, you'd know nothing about any of that would you?"

Her mother shook her head slightly.

"So of course you don't know what happened and how I got bitten, how I was honoured for it, how I'm fighting for my rights, I've been taken into the Ministry by Minister Shacklebolt, I'm living with possibly the most famous wizarding family in the country at the moment even if they don't have much money and, oh yes, I'm a fashion icon."

Violet's mouth hung open slightly.

"But of course none of that matters, because I might bite someone."

"Fame isn't everything Lavender," said Violet.

"No it isn't, but I've got great friends and good food, a wonderful job where I'm actually making a difference and the most amazing boyfriend in the world. All without you. So I guess what I'm trying to say, Mum, is thank you. Thank you for kicking me out of your stupid little small minded life, thank you for kicking me out of mediocrity, thank you for kicking me out and letting me realise that I can have a family I'm not related to. Thanks for helping me help other people, because I know how it feels now to be rejected and unloved. And you know what? I really don't care. It's your loss, because I'm far better off for having got rid of you."

A tear rolled down her mother's face. "Lavender, you don't mean any of that,. Your sister, she's broken hearted about you going, not a moment goes by neither me or your father are thinking of you."

I paused. "Rosa's in Hogwarts isn't she?"

Violet nodded. "She was crying the day she left because she realised she wouldn't be hearing from you."

"Rosa will be hearing from me. I'm not about to abandon her. No, it's you I'm abandoning Mum."

"Please don't, don't leave your family."

"You forced me to leave. You didn't even let me pack, you did it for me. I wake up in Mungo's to find that I'm not welcome anymore. So you're not welcome in my new life Mum. I've moved on, I don't need you anymore."

"Don't say that," Violet sobbed. "Please. Our family, if we fell apart... You were always the perfect daughter Lavender, until-"

"The perfect daughter! I was who you wanted me to be Mum! Do you think I wanted to stay vain and silly and, and, _blonde_ all my life? This is who I am now, and you can deal with it. The old Lavender that you could make happy by buying her a pair of shoes, she's gone. This is me now."

"Then let me get to know you. I don't care if you have two heads Lavender just, write to me. Tell us what you're doing. This boyfriend of yours. This, new family? Just, please don't block me out."

She looked so pathetic that Lavender felt a pang of pity for her. "Look," she said, taking a Self-Inking quill out of her bag. She scrawled "The Burrow, Ottery Saint Catchpole, Devon." "That's the address," she explained. "Arthur says they have an account at the post office where he collects letters once a week. Write if you must. But don't expect a reply. I'll write to Rosa." She zipped her bag shut. "I'm going home now."

"Lavender," her mother began.

"Don't start that again. I'll leave you to pay Abe." she said getting up.

"It was good to see you," said Violet, the same tone she would use to a friend from school she hadn't seen in twenty years.

Lavender paused. "You too." She left the bar and added quietly to herself. "Always good to vent some anger."


	14. Chapter 14

Look oh look oh look! Yup, c'est un UPDATE! I didn't actually mean for it to end this way, but I just had this vision of a chapter I HAD to write, coming up next... so anyway, here's this one... enjoy it won't you?_

* * *

_

_18th November _

_The Burrow._

_Darling Rosa,_

_It's me! We haven't talked in so long, and I nearly forgot about you being in Hogwarts. But I was in Hogsmeade (and I would have come to visit if I hadn't been in a rush) and I realised that you were there!_

_So tell me everything. Is McGonagall still as strict as ever? What house are you in? I'm sure it's Ravenclaw, you were always so clever. Or maybe you're like me, and you're in Gryffindor. Well, wherever you are, even if it's Slytherin I hope you're happy there. Write me back a big long letter with all your news._

_As for my own news... I don't know if you've seen Witch Weekly, or even if you've started reading it. But I was shown a picture of myself in it. Apparently I'm famous. I know, I couldn't believe it either._

_At the moment I'm living with the Weasleys. Yes, those Weasleys. You should know Ginny, she's in Seventh Year. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are here too. Not a day goes past when at least one of my housemates picture is in the papers, it's funny like that. But I'm happy here, Mrs. Weasley is a far better cook than Mum and there's always second helpings._

_I have a boyfriend too. You probably won't remember three or fours years ago, you were only seven or so (you know I still can't get my head around you being in Hogwarts!) when I had a boyfriend called Seamus. Well, it's him. He's lovely and sweet and just the sort of guy you'll find for yourself. Only wait a couple of years, else Dad will completely freak out._

_As for Mum and Dad... darling, it's so complicated. I still love you, all of you, but they're not able to accept who I am now, what I am. But go and look in the memorial room. In there is a plaque dedicated to a man called Remus Lupin, and his wife Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin. I didn't really know her, but Hermione said she was a lovely, beautiful kind woman. She had just had her first child when she died. But it's her husband I knew. He was a werewolf like me, just like me, he wanted peace. He was even a teacher one year. He lost all his friends in the war, and in the end, he lost everything. His son is still alive though. But Remus was one of the heroes of the war and his name will be remembered for years to come. And eventually, his lycanthropy will just become a detail, nothing to worry about. And until that can happen for all of us... Rosa, I just have to wait for Mum and Dad to realise this isn't a phase or something I can change. It's something I'm stuck with, and I'm going to try my hardest that people like me will never have problems like I'm having, and no other girl will have to write this letter to her sister._

_Please, please, please write back to me._

_With all my love,_

_Your Affectionate Sister,_

_Lavender xx_

_19th November _

_Hogwarts_

_ Dear Lavender,_

_It's so good to hear from you! Mum said that you probably wouldn't send me many letters, and this is the first, but it was still nice to get it._

_I'm in Gryffindor, just like you! The hat thought it should put me in Hufflepuff, but it said Gryffindor. All the people here are really nice, Ginny is the Quidditch captain so everyone knows her. She's really nice._

_I don't read Witch Weekly, but Yvonne does. She's my best friend here. She's really nice. I did see a picture of you in it! I wish I can be like you when I'm older, you looked so pretty. What about your boyfriend, is he handsome? I bet he's really ugly._

_As for boys here, ew! Don't worry Lavender, they're all disgusting. Now, if Myron Wagtail was around, it would be a different story._

_I missed you all the time. Mum said that you were just away for a while. I never saw any magazines so I didn't know what was going on. She just said that being a werewolf meant you couldn't live with us any more. Dad tried to explain why too. But if you're dangerous, why do other people let you live with them? Will you come and visit at Christmas? I'd like that a lot._

_I went to the Memorial Room, you're right, there is a plaque up to that man. Yvonne said after the battle the Order of the Phoenix, whoever they are, I forget, wrote a lot of obituaries for him and his wife and put them in the newspapers. I suppose he was quite famous then._

_Please write back. I miss you._

_Love,_

_Rosa._

Lavender put the letter down. She was sitting in the office by herself (Seamus hadn't come in for a good week or so, whether just because he was working in Bath or because he was still angry with her she couldn't tell). Rosa's writing was neat and ordered, just like her own, in cerise pink ink on brand new parchment. Lavender felt tears well up in her eyes. She wondered what Rosa would look like now, eleven seemed so old.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in." she called, hastily wiping her face.

Cathy pushed her head round the door. "Lavender?"

"Hey Cathy," she sniffed. "You're late."

"Sorry, I had to help Grandma."

"Is she sick?" Lavender inquired.

"No, she wanted me to help weed the garden." Cathy laughed and Lavender smiled vaguely. Somehow Cathy's grandmother always seemed to remind her of Neville's.

"So what do you want to talk about?" said Lavender. "I knew you were interested in taking some OWLs next year, well, I've been speaking to Professor Marchbanks, and-"

"Lavender there's kind of something else." Cathy said. Lavender stopped.

"Well shoot then."

"I-I... I want to go to Hogwarts."

Lavender was speechless. "Wow. Wow." She shook her head in disbelief. "That's one massive step Cathy."

"I know, it's just, I've been thinking about it. I mean I don't mind staying at home but Grandma is so strict and..." she hesitated. Lavender smiled.

"Let me guess. You just wish she'd let you out once in a while so you can meet a nice boy and make a few good friends."

"Well, yeah." Cathy said. "I mean, you've introduced me to so many people, but Grandma feels I shouldn't be in the company of non-werewolves unaccompanied."

Lavender gave a weak smile. "Don't worry, I saw my mum a few days ago and had exactly the same conversation."

"How did that go?" said Cathy wide-eyed.

"Bad." Lavender said, then paused. Cathy's parents had been killed in the same attack where she had been bitten. She wondered how it must sound to Cathy when she complained about her parents, parents who died from the injuries given to them trying to save her.

"Well, as far as Hogwarts itself is concerned, Poppy Pomfrey has been happy to help people in our condition since the early '70s, so I see no reason why it should be any different. The Headmistress I'm sure won't complain either. As for the OWLs, I have asked Professor Marchbanks to send me a copy of the curriculum, I have it here somewhere, but cross-referencing it with your own files, you seem to have covered a lot of it. The only problem then is-"

"Grandma." finished Cathy. "I was hoping you'd speak to her for me."

"Cathy it's really not my place..."

"Please Lavender. She won't listen to me like she'd listen to you. She may be strict but she seriously respects you, she's always saying how I should be like you."

"I'm flattered, honestly I am, but it's between you and her."

"But if you just suggested it. Please, if it's me she'll just shoo me off."

Lavender looked at Cathy, who was leaning forward and tugging at the fraying sides of her bag. She looked over the desk with blue eyes, almost as dark as Lavender's own, reminding her of her mother, and in turn of Rosa. With a jolt, Lavender suddenly realised how Cathy had never had anyone to act as an older sibling, no one to turn to except for an over-protective grandmother and now-well now, her.

She sighed. "I'll try, I'll come over tomorrow evening."

Cathy squealed and ran round the desk to hug her.

"But if she agrees," Lavender said firmly. "It still means a lot of work, not to mention just about a thousand letters to write, and shopping and a whole host of other things. Right?"

"Thank you so, so much." said Cathy. "You won't regret it, I promise."

"I can't promise anything." Lavender warned. But she looked down at Rosa's letter and smiled. She couldn't promise anything, but she would certainly try as hard as she could.

--

"Seamus not coming tonight dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"No he's tied up."

"I haven't seen him in a while now. Is everything alright?"

Lavender paused. "It's... better. He's just been busy. Everything's fine, I think. Just haven't seen him lately."

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Well, as long as you're sure dear."

They sat down to dinner, with Bill and Fleur sitting at the table as well. Victoire was sleeping in the other room.

"So what's up with you guys?" Lavender asked, cutting up her cod.

"Not a lot," said Ron. "Auror training was a beast today. They made us crawl under this wire net thing, without magic."

Lavender waved her fork. "Why?"

Ron shrugged. "They're sadists. It was muddy and everything."

"It wasn't that bad Ron. It was for character building."

"I have tons of character." Ron muttered.

Bill rolled his eyes. "If I had been like that when I first went to Egypt I'd have been kicked off the workforce the first day." he said. "How was your day Lavender?"

"I got a letter from Rosa. She's in Gryffindor!" A cheer went round the table. Lavender laughed. "She says Ginny's Quidditch captain."

"Oh yeah, she got the letter in the summer," Ron said.

"Good for her." Lavender said. "I might be paying a visit soon actually."

"Why?"

"Cathy. She wants to start at Hogwarts. But-" Lavender sighed. "She's already fifteen, and I think starting so late, the others would already be so close, it might be difficult."

"They'll take her in surely." frowned Hermione.

"If I can get her out of her grandmother's grip first."

"Sounds like Neville's the guy to talk to." Ron said. "He'd know all about it."

"Well I'm going over there for dinner tomorrow night, I'll try to persuade her. In the meantime, perhaps a trip to Hogwarts is in store?"

"I'd like that," said Harry. "We could probably go tomorrow morning? It's not a Hogsmeade weekend or anything. Plus I could see Ginny."

"You know," said Bill. "I really don't see why you don't just take that cloak of yours and get in there."

"I'll have you know that I am a national hero. We don't break into girl's dormitories."

"Well, excuse me." said Bill.

"Plus these two never worked out how to get into our dorms," said Lavender.

"What?" said Bill, shocked. "You mean you guys never got up there?"

"No, were we supposed to?" said Harry. "How do you get up there?"

"Do you remember that night Dean and Seamus came up for the first time?" Hermione giggled. Ron's face lengthened.

"They got into you dorm and I didn't?"

Bill put his head in his hands. "Lads, all you had to do was cover the floor with clothes and walk straight up the slide."

"I hope you never did that Bill," Mrs. Weasley said sharply. "You were Head Boy."

"_That'_s all you had to do?" said Harry. "Right, that's it. We're going up there tonight." he decided, to Molly Weasley's horror.

"What about being a national hero?" Lavender teased.

"Our reputations can withstand it." said Ron.

"Have fun then." Lavender said.

"You're coming too," said Harry. "You and Hermione."

"I'm hardly going to be paying a formal visit in the middle of the night am I?" Lavender said. "I'll wait until the morning."

The look Harry gave her made her recoil. "Okay, okay, I'm only in it for the craic though."

"Now just wait one moment-" Molly began.

"We just need to work out how we're going to fit all of us back under the cloak when I am now a healthy 6'5." said Ron nonchalantly.


	15. Chapter 15

AN: Few points: I noticed that in the chap where Seamus and Lavender first kiss, I kinda said her eyes were brown. They're blue, sorry for the inconsistency. Also, when you read this, try to say "Oh right" in the best Belfast accent you can manage, because that's how I always hear it said and how I imagine it being said here (if you don't know what a Belfast accent sounds like, don't worry about it). Also, I just realised Rosa... some people might make the connection between her and Rose Weasley. Don't. No connection implied.

Oh and this was a really fun chappie to write, but I realised how so many places could bring back painfu memories for the Trio. How to eradicate those? Why, bring Lavender along! So... this is a masterpiece, I'm telling you ;). Please review! please please please please please. They make me soooo happy. Otherwise I'll look to see who's reading but not reviewing and tell Molly (my rag doll) mean things about you. :P. Please?

* * *

"This is so weird." said Lavender under the cloak.

"Ssh!" the others.

"Oy, I've never been under one of these things before." she said. "We can't all go off and save the world you know!"

"Keep quiet." Ron hissed. "They'll hear us."

"It's not a crime to walk through Hogsmeade at night anymore." she pointed out.

"It's just more fun to pretend it is."said Harry.

"Ouch, Ron, that was my foot!" said Hermione.

"Look, we've got four people under this cloak."

"Dad managed it." Harry pointed out.

"Yeah, but they were Animagi, remember?"

"Your dad was an Animagus?" said Lavender surprised.

"Shut up!" they hissed again.

"I'm a little iffy on the details, how are we getting in again, O Master Planner?" Ron said to Harry.

"Um..." he paused. "I kind of just planned up to here, I was planning on making it up as we went along."

"Through one of the passageways?" suggested Hermione, rolling her eyes at Harry. "And by the way, I cannot _believe _that anybody ever left the fate of the world in _your_ hands."

"Not such a bad idea. The Shrieking Shack lads?"

"Ooh, that's where Lupin used to hide. Oh this'll be great for me to collect information for Cathy."

"But surely she'll just take the potion."

"But think of the adrenaline rush-"

"Shut up!" said Ron. "Can't you two gossip later?"

"Sorry," they both whispered and they continued. "So, when are you going to talk to McGonagall?"

"I don't know, the morning if I'm not too tired."

"Guys!" said Harry. "Do you not get it?"

At that, the two were silent, except for the occasional "Ouch" as Ron stepped on one of their feet. Finally, they made it up to the Shack.

"Come on," said Harry climbing through the fence.

The others followed.

"So this is where he hid? This is where he actually hid?"

"Yup. Him and Sirius and James and Peter." said Harry a little sadly.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Harry. That was really insensitive."

"That's alright" he said. "You knew him too."

"To tell the truth, I've idolised him from Day One. He just always seemed so calm, he always knew what he was doing. When I was bitten, my first thought was 'I hope I can be like Lupin'".

"I think you would have done him proud." Hermione said.

They reached the Shack.

"How do we get in?" Ron asked. "The twins tried."

"You forget, Ronald, you come here with the national hero. The national hero that just happens to have the freedom of Hogsmeade." Harry produced a large rusty key. "And the keys to the Shrieking Shack."

"You're joking!" said Ron. "But we-we- how come we didn't get it?"

"I'm also allowed to graze my goats in the town square." He turned to look at them. "I intend on doing so as soon as I purchase my first goat."

"What about your wolves?" Lavender asked with a grin.

"Sorry, they have to be kept tied up outside the Three Broomsticks." he joked. "Now, we'll get this place open."

"I've never been in the front door. D'you reckon there'll be any mass murderers inside this time?" Hermione said shakily.

Harry paused for a moment. "Every person we've ever seen inside this place is dead. Isn't that weird?"

Hermione nodded and frowned. Lavender kept silence out of respect. Then he turned the key and the door creaked open.

Inside everything appeared colourless, and covered with dust. This time Lavender joined in in the shudder.

"It reminds me of the Emerson's place." she said.

"How is Dorothy?" asked Hermione, trying to lighten the mood.

"She's really well actually." said Lavender. "Yeah, her husband's in rehabilitation and-"

"Guys, shut up!" said Harry. "Right, the passage is here."

They made new tracks in the dust. The other three avoided one certain spot.

"That's where Snape was killed." Ron explained.

"Oh right." she said.

"Okay." said Harry. "This is it. Ron, remember what you said about 6'5?"

"Yeah?"

"We need to fit 6'5 of Weasley down here."

--

With much shoving and pushing the four of them got to a part of the passage that slowly curved upwards.

"You can press the knot Lavender. You've never had the privilege of being down here before." said Harry, pressing up against the wall.

"Cool," she said, clambering over the others. She tripped over Ron's feet and landed on him.

"Ooh," she said. "This wouldn't be the first time we've been caught in a compromising position would it?"

She saw Hermione's face and remembered the day with Fleur and the boots. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" she said. "Help me up Ron." He hoisted her to her feet.

"Just hit the knot on the tree directly above the opening."

"Right-o." She climbed out. The branches were flailing. She grabbed the knot above her. They became still again. Harry's muffled voice said something.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Climb out." She pulled herself onto the grass, got up and stretched, taking in Hogwarts.

"I haven't been here in so long!" she said.

"Get down!" hissed Harry, pulling her under the cloak. "Filch will still be doing his rounds."

"Oh right." she said and placed a finger on her lips. "Quiet."

They made their way up to the steps of the castle.

"The doors will be locked, will they not?" asked Lavender.

Harry pushed one of the doors and clucked his tongue. "Filch is getting lapse on security. Now, we have to get up to the tower."

By the secret passageways they navigated their way through Hogwarts castle. Each passage, every corridor, brought back a fresh memory. Here was where she first got lost on her way to Transfiguration, here was where she had sneaked the Quibbler into class. Here was where she and Seamus had disappeared that blustery night in Fourth Year February...

Soon they were standing in in the Fat Lady's corridor.

"What's the password, d'you reckon?" Ron asked.

Lavender shrugged. "You didn't ask Ginny?"

"We're surprising her."

"Look, I haven't come this far to turn back now." Lavender said. "Couldn't you just use your powers as national hero?"

Ron snorted. "Lavvy, this is the Fat Lady we're talking about."

"Too true."

"So what do we do?"

"We... wait?" tried Harry.

"Harry!" moaned Hermione.

But Harry shushed them as voices were heard in the corridor. Somebody turned the corner. It was Jimmy Peakes and Demelza Robins.

"Wow." said Harry. "That's weird."

"Never mind weird." said Hermione. She slipped out from under the cloak. "Demelza, can you let us in with you?"

"Herm-" began Demelza, but Hermione pressed a finger to her lips.

"Sure." mouthed Demelza. She went to the painting and cleared her throat loudly.

"Widdershins." she said to a groggy Fat Lady who swung open. The six of them hurried in.

Once in the common room, they threw the cloak off.

"It's hot in that thing," said Ron.

"So why are you here?" asked Jimmy. "You-Know-Who's not back is he?"

They laughed. "No," said Ron. "We have some unfinished business."

Lavender whispered to Demelza "They never worked out how to get into our dorms."

The girls fell into fits of giggles. Ron and Harry looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Right, so we'll leave you to it." said Hermione, dragging her companions to the staircase. She took her handbag, in which every Weasley jumper they could find had been fitted with an Undetectable Engorgement Charm. The girls began to spread these up the stairs, testing the friction as they went.

Once at the top, they told the boys to come up.

As soon as Harry set a foot on the stairs they slipped into a slide. The jumpers didn't move.

"Success!" Ron said, and he and Harry bounded up the stairs.

"You know, now we're here it's a bit of an anticlimax." said Harry.

"Oh, be quiet." said Lavender. "Come on, our dorm was the second highest."

"Ours was the first."

"I know," said Hermione.

"I know you know," said Lavender. "I recall it pretty well actually. What happened? Oh yes, you two sneaked behind my back and-"

"That's not what happened!" Ron protested. "I thought you explained all this Hermione."

Lavender grinned. "Don't get so het up about it Ron." There were footsteps.

"They've heard us." said Hermione.

The footsteps came out of the third highest dorm, where the Seventh Year girls were.

"Harry?" said a familiar voice.

"Ginny!" Harry shouted, and spun her off her feet.

When she was back on the ground she grinned at Hermione. "These two finally learnt how to get into our dorms huh?"

"Bill told them." Lavender said.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "So, you thought you'd do it for the craic, after you've left."

"Pretty much." said Ron.

"Well, do you want showing around or what?" Ginny grinned.

"I was hoping to see my sister," Lavender said.

"Sure, no problem," Ginny said. "She's adorable. Up in your old dorm."

Lavender began climbing the stairs and heard Ron mutter "You used to curse us whenever we called you adorable."

Lavender came to the familiar oak door and very quietly pushed it open. The inhabitants were fast asleep. They looked so small, but of course, to her, first years always did these days. There was the silence of deep breathing.

She sniffed, and smelt nothing new, but she tuned her ears in. One of them was lying awake.

In the bed directly in front of her (with a fondness, she remembered that was her bed) somebody couldn't sleep. She padded gently over. She could now see the glint of eyes in the dark. The breathing quickened.

"Rosa?" she whispered. The figure sat up straight wand in hand.

"Ssh, Rosie, it's me," Lavender said.

"Lavender?" said the figure.

"Lumos." Lavender said and the lights came on. The other girls groaned as they woke up.

"It is you!" Rosa exclaimed and threw her arms around her sister. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

Suddenly another girl was at her side, with a piece of parchment.

"You're Lavender Brown?" she asked shyly. "Can I have your autograph?"


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry for the delay people! Well, here it is (finally!) Sorry, I've been studying, so I can't manage more than a few lines a night! Enjoy! And yes, it is very, very random.

* * *

"Lavender?" asked Hermione, ten minutes later turning up at the door.

Lavender was sitting on her old bed (her sister's bed now, she thought happily) as Rosa spoke at top speed, eyes flashing.

"Rosa, this is Hermione."

The girl who had asked for Lavender's autograph, Lucy, said "Hermione Granger? Oh wow!" She jumped back out of her bed and rushed over with the autograph book.

"Can I have your autograph?" she asked. Hermione looked bemused, but scribbled a signature anyway.

"Hermione, this is my sister Rosa. Over there, that's Lucy, then asleep there's…" Lavender frowned. "Georgia and Melanie, I think."

"Yup." said Rosa happily. "There's four of us. Remember how you said there were only three of you? Well, there's four of us, so they put another bed in."

"Well, I don't think they expected you to sleep on the floor Rosie." Lavender said.

"That used to be my bed." Hermione pointed.

"Oh wow!" said Lucy. "That's _my _bed! Oh wow! Just wait until I tell Mum! I'm in the same bed as Hermione Granger!"

"I feel special." said Hermione.

"Who's with you?" Rosa asked.

"Oh, Harry and Ron. They've never been up to the girl's dorms before."

"Harry Potter and Ron Weasley? Wow!" said Lucy.

As if hearing their names the boys appeared at the doorway.

"Can I have your autographs?" Lucy asked.

"She just doesn't know when to stop does she?" Hermione muttered to Lavender.

Harry was bored as he signed the little girl's book, but Ron looked quite pleased, and even patted her halo of frizzy yellow hair.

"Lavvy why are you here?" Rosa asked.

"Business?" Lavender tried.

"Holiday?" Ron suggested.

"Competition?" Harry asked.

"Tax reasons." Hermione said firmly.

Everyone in the room gave her a strange look.

"Well it was as plausible as the others." she said in defence.

Lavender conceded that.

"Well, we never were particularly good liars." Ron said.

"Hey!" Harry protested. "I managed to convince those Snatchers that I was called Vernon Dudley."

"Oh yeah." Ron began to reminisce with a smirk. "And now I look back on it I can't help but laugh."

"Wow, you told them you were called Vernon Dudley? Is it true you escaped from Gringotts on a dragon?" said Lucy with wide eyes.

"You know what's weird?" Harry said to Hermione. "Out of all the things they could ask, they could say,

'Did you defeat Lord Voldemort' or 'Did you destroy the Horcuxes' but no, it's always the dragon."

"Did you though?" Lucy said unperturbed.

Harry sighed. "Yes, we escaped on a dragon."

"Wow." said Lucy. She looked like she was going to collapse with pleasure.

"That still doesn't explain why you're here." said Rosa, not easily distracted.

"To tell the truth, because the boys have never been up here before."

One of the sleeping girls stirred and said groggily. "Who's there?"

"Georgia, wake up, wake up, _it's Harry Potter_!" said Lucy.

The girl's eyes widened. "Oh wow, Harry Potter!" She stood up and grabbed a book off her bedside. "Can I have your autograph?"

"It was Lucy that started her off." Rosa explained.

"And you're not taking part?"

"Merlin, no. I'm not that sad. Besides," she gave Lavender a smile. "I get your autograph every time you write to me. Natalie in Fifth Year says she'll sell them in Hogsmeade and give me half the profit."

"Cheeky." said Lavender and punched her arm. "Are you serious?"

"Would I lie to you?" Rosa said. "I thought you'd be flattered."

"I am. I'm also a little worried that my little sister is exploiting me."

Ginny laughed. "You wouldn't want to be in our family. Every letter we send is valuable."

"Really?" said Ron. "Why does nobody ever tell me these things? I could make a fortune selling rubbish from our house."

"Now that's exploitation." said Rosa. "I like the way you think."

"Rosa!" Lavender said and slapped her up the head. "You're such a little-"

Lavender refrained from calling her sister a nasty name.

Georgia and Lucy were comparing books.

"The one Harry gave me is bigger than the one he gave you." Lucy said.

"But smaller means intimate, meaning he loves me more." Georgia answered.

Hermione and Lavender looked at Ginny before bursting into laughter.

"You used to be like that Ginny." Hermione said. "It was so funny!"

Ginny took her wand out of her dressing gown pocket and pointed it at both of them. Lavender held her hands up.

"I surrender, I surrender!" she said laughing, and threw a pillow at Ginny.

"We used to have fun up here." she said sadly.

"Well we used to have fun in our dorm too," Ron said.

"Please, Seamus said all you two ever did was sleep and fight!"

"That is so a lie!" Harry protested. "We, well, we- you know."

"Although fighting is considered fun, apparently," Hermione said.

"Well it's more fun than painting each other's toenails!" Ron said. "And don't tell me you never did that, because I know you did!"

"Well, yeah, when we were bored, I guess, a couple of times." Lavender said. "But I know that you guys did once too!"

"We were not involved." Harry said. "Okay, so we may have helped to tie Neville up but that has nothing to do with it."

Ginny fell over from laughing so hard.

"I still can't believe that one." Hermione said. "Poor Neville. But where did you get the polish?"

Lavender blushed and said "Remember that pink you liked so much and went mysteriously missing? Yeah, I lent it to Dean."

Hermione's jaw dropped.

The First Years looked a little confused, but Georgia and Lucy were too scared to interrupt their idols' chat. Lavender cleared her throat and the others turned to her.

"So what do we do now?"

"I want to see you guy's bathroom!" Ron said. "Apparently it's huge!"

"It's not that big." Lavender said.

"Yeah," said Ginny. "We just use a couple of Enlargement spells inside to accommodate all the products."

"How much do you need anyway?" said Ron. "And don't lie, because Hermione, I remember the bathroom in the tent…"

Harry gasped. "Do you remember that? There was so much stuff!"

"What, I needed it all!" said Hermione. "I mean, you wouldn't want to meet Riddle and have me standing

there with split ends and spots would you?"

"Because that's what we worry about when we fight evil, obviously," Harry said.

"Well it's what I'd worry about," Lavender said.

"We so should have had girls doing it instead." said Hermione. "We could have made everything smell pretty."

Ron put his head in his hands.

"'Kay," said Hermione. "We'll show you the bathroom."

Lavender bounced off her sister's bed and skipped after them.

"Wow," said Ron, stopping.

"That's what Seamus said when he first saw it," Lavender giggled.

"But seriously, what do you use all this stuff for?" he said, picking up a bottle.

"That's cleanser. For your face."

"Can't you just use soap?" Ron asked.

"Ew, no! It dries out your skin." said Lavender.

Ron scratched his head.

"So…" said Rosa appearing at the door. "What are you going to do now Lavvy?"

"What would you say McGonagall would do if I woke her up?"

"Probably Stun you." said Hermione. "I'd wait until breakfast."

"I agree." said Ron.

"So what now?" asked Ginny. "Because I need some sleep, I'm wrecked."

"So do I!" Rosa piped up.

"What, so we came all the way up here for you to go to bed?" Harry asked. "Or can I come with you?"

"Yuck!" said Ron. "Thanks Harry. Now I have that stuck in my head."

"Oh come on Ron, you must have got used to it by now." Hermione said.

"No, I just avoid thinking about it."

"Well, how do you think I felt when we were in the tent?" said Harry. "With you two messing around the

whole time!"

"We did not mess!" Ron said. "At least you were there, Merlin knows what you and Hermione got up to while I was away."

"Ron!" Hermione squealed. "That's sick!"

"That's like doing my sister!" Harry said, looking nauseous.

"You are doing my sister!" Ron pointed out.

"Guys!" said Lavender, catching the look on Rosa's face.

"And you have a problem with it?" Harry said, stepping up to Ron.

"Who says I do?"

"You do!"

"Guys!" said Lavender. "You're getting into a fight over nothing!"

"And who was it who abandoned us?"

"And who would have saved you out of that pond if I didn't?" Ron said.

"Snape!"

"Harry, Ron!" Lavender hissed. "What's wrong?"

Hermione and Ginny both shrugged and grabbed their respective boyfriend's arms.

"No!" Ron screamed. "You know what, let's take this outside!"

"Fine!"

"What on earth is going on here?" said a stern and all-too familiar voice.

--

"Never, in all my years as a teacher have I seen such a sight." McGonagall gave them all a very hard glare. Lavender lowered her head.

"What you young boys were doing up there, and you girls letting them."

"Technically, miss, we're not actually students anymore so you can't punish us." Ron tried. Ginny sat a little lower in her seat.

"But that's not the point. You are the national heroes. The pupils look up to you."

"Well, they are pretty short." Ron said. He saw the Headmistress's expression. "Not good?"

She shook her head.

"What did you think you were doing?" McGonagall said. "You could be expelled!"

"No we couldn't." said Harry helpfully. "We're not in school anymore."

McGonagall looked at him. "Well, then Mr Potter, you'll be arrested."

"They can't arrest him, he's Harry Potter," said Lavender.

"And you Miss Brown, are Lavender Brown! You have not been in this school for two years. Last time they carried you out on a stretcher."

"They're not gong to have to this time?" Lavender said.

"No." McGonagall answered, and Lavender could have sworn there was a hint of a smile around her lips.

"But the matter is still very serious."

"Not really," said Ron. "It's just, we never realised how to get to the girl's dorms!"

"What?" said McGonagall. "You really never worked it out."

Harry held his hands up. "Why does everyone say that like we should have done?"

McGonagall exhaled. "I will let the matter drop, this time round, considering Miss Brown had an urge to

visit her sister and you are, of course, national heroes."

Lavender hid a smile. "Well, that's good," she said and drew her files out. "Because now we can talk business. Would you be willing to take a werewolf in next year? I have her records here, and-"

She cut off, looking at the amazed expressions on everyone's faces


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry, this chapter is a bit all over the place, don't say I didn't warn you...

* * *

"Well, Cathy, the good news is that McGonagall will be happy to give you a place next year." Lavender said, stretching. "There'll be a supply of potion et cetera, so all you'll have to do is keep up with the work. Other good news, I made up with my sister, I saw the Shrieking Shack, I went under an Invisibility Cloak, Ron and Harry didn't punch each other and they finally worked out how to get into the girl's dormitories."

"Wait, what? This all happened, when?"

"Last night."

Cathy shook her head. "Young, rich and famous I guess. What's the bad news?"

"The bad news is I still have to pay your grandmother a visit, Seamus and I haven't spoken in more than a week and if I turn up in Hogwarts castle without an appointment in the next twenty years I'll get a month's worth of detentions."

"No, seriously, what happened last night?" Cathy said, wide-eyed.

"Nothing you need to know." Lavender said. "But I do need to know something."

"Yes?"

"What do I wear tonight? No, seriously." she said as Cathy began to laugh.

"Something plain, and long." Cathy said. "With sleeves. Preferably a fur scarf, though that's optional."

"Is your grandmother by any chance friends with Augusta Longbottom?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention, she'll be there as well."

So that was how Lavender found herself wearing a black full length skirt and her violet jumper and sitting next to Neville's grandmother that evening.

_This'll be one to tell your grandchildren._ she thought.

"Ah, so this is Lavender Brown. Neville's told me a lot about you."

_I seriously hope he didn't tell you about Sixth Year when I broke up with Ron and that Hogsmeade weekend I drank too much Firewhiskey and tried to kiss him, _Lavender thought, touching the wood under the table.

"Yes, he says you've always been very friendly to him."

"Well, of course I have, he's very friendly to me." Lavender said.

"I'm glad to hear it." Augusta said. "He always used to be a very shy little boy."

_He's hardly little anymore, he's twice my size and I'm not small._

"Really?" she asked, cutting up the pork in front of her.

Mrs. O'Connor cleared her throat. "So, Lavender, so glad you could make it tonight. I've been asking Cathy to bring you over for a long time."

_Really? She hasn't mentioned it._

"Well, anything for good food. This is excellent."

"Yes, she's a sweet girl, though a pity what happened to her."

_No wonder you and Augusta get on well, I remember that day on the platform. "He's a good boy my Neville, though it is a pity he didn't inherit his father's brains." What a pair you two are._

"These things happen. But I'm here to help."

"Yes indeed. I've been saying to Cathy ever since her first appointment to bring you over. You don't happen to have any idea why she chose to today?"

Lavender looked at Cathy for a moment. Cathy nodded.

_Might as well get this over with._

"Well, yes actually," she said clearing her throat. "She did ask me to run something past you."

"You didn't mention anything Cathy!" Mrs. O'Connor said sharply. "Is she in trouble?"

"No, no, it's nothing like that," Lavender said sighing.

"Then what?" Mrs. O'Connor said.

"Perhaps we should leave it until after dinner-"

"If I were you, I should say it now." Mrs. Longbottom warned. "Or she'll be going on all night."

Lavender sighed. "I did want to keep business until after dinner but-" she waved her wand and her files appeared lazily in front of her.

"This is a list of cross-references between the advised Ministry of Magic curriculum and your tuition of Cathy over the past five years. This is the same references crossed with the education provided at Hogwarts school."

"Of course though, I'm up to scratch, what are you getting at?" Mrs. O'Connor said.

Lavender continued as if she had not been interrupted, drawing a thin parchment covered in scratchy writing. "This is a letter from Griselda Marchbanks, whom I'm sure you know-"

"Know? She is a very close friend."

"-Explaining the criteria needed for a student to sit the OWL examinations."

"Yes but what do you want?"

"Here is, in writing, a statement I retrieved from Professor Minerva McGonagall this morning at around three o'clock, also you'll see the signature of Poppy Pomfrey-"

"Lavender, what is all this for?"

Lavender looked her in the eye. "Cathy wants to go to Hogwarts. You've given her the best start she could hope for, but people like her and I are more accepted in society now, and there will be very little prejudice against her going to Hogwarts."

Mrs. O'Connor was dumbfounded. Cathy looked across the table nervously at her fellow werewolf, waiting for her grandmother to explode.

"Why didn't you tell me this yourself Cathy?" she said, completely unexpectedly.

"I-I thought you wouldn't allow me."

"Allow you?" she said quietly. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because you've always been so protective and-"

"You've never shown any particular desire to."

"It's just because…" Cathy trailed off. "But please. I want to go."

"How do you feel about this Lavender?" Mrs. O'Connor asked.

"I think she's completely capable." Lavender said. "It's a question of whether the two of you can agree on a compromise that suits you both."

Mrs. O'Connor sighed. "If you were unhappy Cathy, I wish you had just told me instead of dragging Lavender here."

"Oh no," Lavender answered. "I just heard your cooking was good, and I suggested she say it while I was here."

Mrs. O'Connor paused at this and Cathy gave Lavender a smile for digging her out.

"Well, when can they take her?"

"Whenever," Lavender said.

"Well then," said Mrs. O'Connor, picking her knife and fork up again. "Cathy, it looks like a shopping trip is in order."

Lavender yawned hugely on Sunday morning. "I am so tired. Augusta Longbottom is such a party animal."

"You did not just say that," said Hermione as she painted her nails.

"Don't tell Neville," Lavender said sitting up in bed. "What time is it?"

"Nearly midday. Molly said to let you sleep. You got in late last night."

"Like I said, those people know how to throw a good party."

Hermione smirked. "You better get up though."

"Yeah," Lavender said, rubbed her eyes and stumbled to the bathroom.

She met Ron on the way there. "Wow, Lavvy," he said. "Where were you all last night?"

Hermione stuck her head out the door. "Partying with Neville's grandmother."

Ron laughed at that. Very hard. He went into Ginny's room and spun Hermione around, laughing as he went. Lavender avoided looking at them.

She went into the bathroom and stood in the shower. She avoided looking in the mirror. Part of her always wanted to avoid looking at the scars that made her who she was now.

She dried her hair roughly and pulled a pair of jeans and a blouse on.

"I'm going to go see Parvati," she mumbled to Hermione as she tested Ron on his Auror knowledge. It seemed so natural to them, they seemed so content.

She Apparated into the gorgeously decorated apartment belonging to her best friend.

"Hello!" she called, looking for the twins.

Parvati looked at her from the stove. "Pancakes?" she asked. "Glad you could come."

"Anything for your pancakes," Lavender said sitting down. "How are you?"

"We're good." Parvati said cheerfully. "Padma's gone out."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Well, it's only to the day room in Mungo's, but she hasn't been out since the summer."

"That's awesome Parvati," Lavender said. "Is she getting better?"

"No," Parvait said with a sigh, dropping a pancake on a plate. "It's time she needs, as I said. How long that could be, nobody knows."

"You don't mind looking after her?"

Parvati shook her head. "She's my sister. She needs me."

"You're braver than I am." Lavender said, grabbing a fork.

"No. We're doing exactly the same thing, me for my sister, you for your clients."

Lavender cocked her head. "I didn't think of it like that."

There was a pause.

"So…" Parvati began. "What are we doing today?"

"What we always used to do," Lavender said with a grin.

"Follow Seamus Finnegan around and put itching powder in his clothes? Oh no wait, we can't, you're wearing his clothes."

Lavender's smile vanished. "Not so sure I am anymore," she said with a sigh.

"What?" asked Parvati.

"He's just been… I don't know, he and I haven't seen each other in so long and I'm starting to wonder…"

"Ten days isn't exactly long Lavvy," Parvati said. "You've gone longer than that without seeing whatever boyfriend you've had on the go."

"Not that many, actually," Lavender said.

"Whatever. The point is, I don't see why you're worrying."

"I'm not, I shouldn't be," Lavender muttered shaking her head. "Anyway, what are we doing?"

"Do you want to go shopping or-"

Lavender blew a raspberry. "I can go shopping without you. I was thinking girl's day in sort of thing."

"I'm good with that," Parvati smiled. "You have to try our Jacuzzi."

"You're kidding."

"Nope."

Lavender rushed to the bathroom and stared. "Oh Parvati, how I've missed you!"

Parvati came to stand behind her. "It's good to know that you don't just love me for my material possessions," she said.

"No, you're also a brilliant giver of advice," Lavender said whirling round. "Parvati," she groaned. "What am I going to do?"

Parvati shrugged. "You've just got to talk to him. Maybe you should go over to his place or something. I really don't know why you're stressing."

"Easy for you to say," Lavender said flopping down on the sofa. "You're not the one feeling rejected."

"No, I'm the one with no social life because I have to look after my sister."

"Right. Sorry."

"It's okay," Parvati said sitting down beside her. "I get to live through you."

"Are you rich and famous too?" Lavender asked.

"Not nearly as rich and famous as you."

"Yeah but you started earlier," Lavender said. "Going to the Yule Ball with Harry."

Parvati grinned. "Never again."

"Ever," said Lavender adamantly.

"Right, so that girl's day in?"

"Definitely. Do you know who we should invite?"

"Who?"

"Augusta Longbottom."

"Lavender what-" Parvati stopped. "Why do you always come up with stuff like that?"

"No, seriously, have you ever seen her drunk? I mean, wow."

"When was this?"

"Last night."

"No Lavender, seriously, you life just gets randomer by the day. Where were you the night before?"

"In McGonagall's office."

Parvati burst out laughing and threw her arms around her. "I love you Lavvy, don't ever change."

"I won't if I still get free pancakes."

Parvati laughed. "Sure thing."

She stood up and began to clear her dishes away. "Do you have any nice boys lined up for me?"

"I did have Adam, but you're too late. He's with Roisin now."

"With who?"

"The girl I tried to set up with Seamus."

"Hold on. You set a girl up with Seamus?"

"Long story," said Lavender, waving her question away. "Wait, you don't think he's cheating on me?"

"Seamus Finnegan cheat on Lavender Brown. Come on, he's been head over heels for you since you first met."

"Thanks." said Lavender with a smile.

"And now…" said Parvati. "You are going to tell me all about Augusta Longbottom while I do the dishes…"


	18. Chapter 18

AN: this chapter is absolutely jam packed with private jokes, which some people will get but most people... won't... so, this is very random, I have tried to make it funny, if it doesn't work, I'm sorry, and if you're expecting good literature, don't. It's not.

Review if you like it, review if you hate it :D

* * *

"Right so," said Ron. "What's the plan?"

"We just went through it! Basically, we go to Seamus', we find out what's going on, if it's bad we curse him into smithereens, if it's good… we… um…" Parvati flicked through the notebook. "Actually, we don't have anything good here… but the point is, this is a very complicated mission!"

"Wait, I thought you guys were having a Girl's Day In…" said Harry.

"We were. We plan our revenges at Girl's Days In, didn't you know?" said Hermione.

"But he hasn't technically done anything wrong…" said Ron. "So, you are getting us caught up in your revenge plan, but you don't actually have a particular reason for taking your revenge."

The girls all stared at him.

"I nominate Ron to be thrown out!" shouted Parvati.

"Seconded!" said Hermione, and pushed Ron away.

"Wait, what?" asked Harry.

"Okay," said Lavender. "So, Harry, you and Dean will have to do Operation Uncle Jim alone…"

"Dean's here?" asked Hermione.

"No, Dean's round the back with the bucket of cold porridge," said Lavender, pointing at the diagram.

"Okay. So then I'm on the roof…" said Harry.

"No!" said Hermione. "You're in Shacklebolt's office."

"Oh, I get it. So I'm wearing the mask…"

"Exactly," said Parvati. "Then once you're done with the dance…"

"I go and get the jam jar…"

"Exactly," said Lavender. "Meanwhile, Hermione and Parvati…"

"Are carrying out Operation Baby Shower in opposite quarters of Reykjavik…" said Parvati.

"With a cardboard cut out of Audrey Hepburn for me…" said Hermione.

"And a box of silver spoons for Parvati." said Lavender. "Now, since Ron can't be there, I guess we'll just get Bill onto the roof."

"Cool," said Bill. "So I'm the one with the shoes…"

"Exactly, meanwhile Fleur, you and Alicia-"

"Are waiting in the Puddlemere United Quidditch pitch with the chair and the bottle of ink," said Alicia. "For Operation Mirror."

"And I'm at King's Cross with the Skiving Snackboxes…" said George.

"Right. Beth, you and Henry,"

"Are at the Dragon Sanctuary in Cardiff," said Beth.

"Mrs. O'Connor and Mrs. Longbottom?"

"We're in the Three Broomsticks with the hairbrush and the guitar," said Mrs. Longbottom.

"Roisin, Adam and Cathy,"

"We're going through with Operation Bumblebee," said Adam.

"Once we get the nail varnish," said Roisin.

"Where are you?" Parvati checked.

"Paris," said Cathy. "Where else?"

"Good, you've got it." said Lavender. "I think that's it then."

"No, wait!" said Parvati. "Where are you Lavender?" she asked.

"I'm at the Sydney Opera House with the bundle of feathers. Simple."

"Okay," said Hermione. "Is everybody clear where you are?"

There was a pause, then a collective answer went around the room.

"No."

"Right," said Parvati. "Maybe we should just go with something simpler…"

"Okay," said Ron. "I have it!"

The others all looked up.

"Right," he said. "So if we switch Operation Sea Anemone with Operation Handbag…"

"That's not such a bad idea," said Mrs. Longbottom.

"No," said Bill. "Because then Operation Engagement is useless, and we've already ordered the apple pies…"

"It's back to the drawing board then…" said Hermione with a sigh.

It was going to be a long night…

"Yes!" said Hermione, taking a sip of her extra-strong black coffee. "I think that's it."

The whole group peered over her shoulder.

"Oh, I like it," said Roisin.

"Perfect," said George.

"Amazing," whispered Parvati. "All those in favour?"

"I," was the resonating call.

"That's a majority," said Harry.

"Motion passed!" shouted Alicia.

And with that, Ron hit the floor and began to snore. Harry followed. Then Lavender. Then the entire group.

"Okay," Hermione's voice came through the Muggle walkie-talkie. "Agent Lilac Fox, are you ready, over?"

"Ready and waiting, HQ, over."

"Be careful, over."

"I will, over."

"Right, The Blond is in there, we've just received a report. In you go, over."

"Over and out."

"Agent Lilac Fox? Who came up with that? And he isn't even blond!"

"Shut up Ron. Good luck Agent, over and out."

Lavender knocked on the door.

"Just a tick!" said a familiar voice.

The door swung open.

"What a stink!" she said loudly.

"Brownie?" Seamus asked. He was standing in the doorway with a dressing gown pulled over his pyjamas, his hair sticking out in every direction, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Yes," she said. "Surprised to see me?"

"A bit," he said. "It is, what, four o'clock in the morning."

"I've missed you," she said, trying to push past him into the room.

"Er, me too," he said, blocking her way in.

"What's the matter?" she said, craning to see past him.

"Um, nothing, just-"

"You're acting like you've got something to hide."

Seamus visibly blushed. "Um, no."

Lavender frowned. "What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said, too quickly. "My flat's a tip, that's all."

"I don't mind," she said. "Go on, let me in." She attempted to push past him again.

"How about we go out tonight?" he asked her.

"The Blond is tricky and charming, don't let him fool you," whispered Alicia in the earpiece.

"I don't get it, why is he called The Blond? He's practically a ginger!" hissed Harry.

"Oy!" came the very loud call of several Weasley family members.

"What was that?" Seamus asked, looking down the hall for the source of the voices.

"Nothing," said Lavender, putting a hand on her hair next to her ear. "So, yeah, out tonight?" She thought if she played her cards right he might just let her in.

"Are you an idiot?" said Parvati. "Don't agree with him!"

"Shut up!" Lavender hissed.

"I didn't speak," said Seamus, puzzled.

"No, talking to the voice inside my head."

"Ah, the inner wolf?"

"More like the inner spoilt little rich kid," Lavender muttered, hearing Parvati's shriek on the other end.

"What?"

"So yeah, going out tonight?"

"Actually, oh, I was going out with the lads from Bath, I forgot," he said.

Lavender nodded.

"That is such a bad lie! 'It 'im!" came Fleur's voice.

"Fleur, darling, you've been watching too much Muggle TV…"

"Really?" said Mr. Weasley. "How do those televisions work?"

"That sucks," Lavender said. "Maybe tomorrow?"

"Yeah, maybe," Seamus said. He still didn't move aside.

"Right," said Hermione. "Agent Lilac Fox, it's time to put Plan B into action."

Lavender bit her lip. She was planning on skipping to Plan C.

"No you may not skip to Plan C," said Hermione as if reading her mind.

"Plan B is far more interesting to watch," said George. "Were Ginny here, she'd say it was worthy of popcorn."

"Do it, now!" said Hermione.

Lavender groaned her displeasure at Headquarters thinking that she would curse Parvati for even suggesting Plan B.

"What's wrong?" Seamus asked.

With a grimace, she swooned. Seamus caught her swiftly.

"Jay-sus, are you alright Brownie?"

She didn't answer, but fluttered her eyelashes a bit. _Hermione, I am absolutely going to murder you for this,_ she thought.

"Okay, he should be bringing you into The Zone."

"The Zone? Who came up with that?"

"Ron, shut up!"

"I could've sworn I just heard Ron speaking," said Seamus looking around. "What about you Brownie? Brownie?"

Lavender groaned for effect, praying he would take her in and she could give up the charade.

"I would bring you in- but-"

She sat up. "Why not? Who have you got hiding in there?"

"N-nobody," Seamus said.

"You're obviously lying," Lavender said, standing up.

"This isn't part of Plan B! Okay, everybody, we're onto Plan C, we're moving in. Agent Lilac Fox, do you copy? This is HQ, we're switching to Plan C, roger?"

"No, let me deal with this," Lavender said.

"What?" asked Seamus.

"Nothing," she said, trying to get past him into the apartment again.

"Is Romilda Vane hiding under your bed?" she asked.

"…No, and I told you, that time she was waiting for Harry, not me," Seamus said.

"Then let me in."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"It's… a surprise."

"Typical of you Seamus Finnegan. You can't even come up with a good excuse when you need to."

"No, I'm being serious!"

"Please, I barely remember a time when you've been serious about anything other than food in your entire life."

"Ooh, this is getting good!" said Alicia.

There was an awkward pause. Seamus turned his fern green eyes on her. "I'm serious about you," he said.

There was a collective "Aw," from the Burrow.

Lavender felt tears in her eyes and she hastily wiped them away.

"Kiss him!" said George loudly.

"Then why don't you act it?" Lavender asked. "Why are you there one minute and the next you don't speak to me in three weeks?"

"I've been busy," he said.

"I bet you have," Lavender said. "You've always been a player, Seamus."

"Brownie, I-"

"You what?"

"I've got nothing to hide," he said.

"Then why won't you let me into your apartment?"

"Like I said, it's a surprise."

That made her angry. "Do you think you can just string me along like that? Do you think I'm going to believe every word you say?"

"It's the truth," Seamus said.

"Right. Well, when you feel like telling me the truth, the real truth again, you can come and find me. I'm not waiting around for you Seamus," she said quietly, and walked away.

In the Burrow, there was complete silence.

Lavender took up the walkie-talkie again. "Mission aborted. Over and out."


	19. Chapter 19

Well, this has slightly more structure... slightly... I quite like this chapter, if you don't, tell me so!

Oh, quick check on timelines, no, the movie in question was not out in whatever year this was, deal with it.

Enjoy!

* * *

"I mean, what do you think he was hiding anyway?" Lavender sobbed into her ice-cream.

"I don't know," said Hermione soothingly. "But you don't need to worry anymore. Other foot." She began painting Lavender's left toenails bright blue.

"He's not worth it Lavvy-girl," Parvati said. "He's just a bas-"

"Parvati!" said Hermione loudly, as opposed to swearing as ever.

"A, well, you know what I mean," Parvati finished. "You can do so much better."

"Yeah," said Hermione.

Lavender wiped her eyes. "I shouldn't waste any more of your time."

They began loud protests that she wasn't.

"No, Parvati, you've got to get home to see to Padma."

Parvati shook her head. "I just got an owl from Mungo's, she's staying there. Apparently they've seen the biggest improvement in her state since she was attacked. Just a change of scene. There are a lot of other war-traumatized people there, maybe it was just seeing others like her, she's been kept away from anything nasty lately in case she fell into deeper depression, but it seems to have really helped."

"Parvati, that's fantastic!" Lavender said sincerely. "Really, really brilliant."

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "It's good to know we might have the old Padma back."

"That'd be brilliant," Lavender said. "We used to have fun, didn't we?"

"We still do," said Hermione.

"Yeah, who needs smelly boys?" said Parvati with a laugh.

"Oy!" Ron shouted as he and Harry came in. "We don't smell _that_ bad."

"Come to join in the fun, have we?" Parvati asked.

"Well," said Harry. "You're telling us how fun this stuff is all the time, we thought we'd join in."

"So you don't mind if we say bad things about the male gender as a whole in front of you? Or plait your hair?"

"Nah, go on," said Dean, following them in.

"When did you get here?"

"I've been around since the operation," he said. "Neville's here too."

"Neville!" Hermione shrieked. "Where is he? No Girl's Night In is complete without him!"

There was a collective "huh?" from the boys.

"Neville used to comfort us," Lavender explained. "He was great."

Neville came in.

"Neville!" Parvati cried and flung her arms around him.

"That's okay. Let it all out," he said, patting her back.

The seven Gryffindors sat in Ginny's bedroom and bad-mouthed the eighth one, amidst ice cream and nail varnish.

"He's just an Irish pig with a bad accent," Neville said.

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "And bad taste in clothes."

"You're one to talk," said Harry. Ron shrugged.

"So…" said Parvati, breaking the silence.

"Who's up for Muggle movies?" Hermione asked.

"Ah, if only Ginny was here…" said Harry. "She'll kill us if she finds out."

Parvati gave him a questioning look.

"Ginny has got so territorial over movies that now if one of us is found within ten feet of the cinema she hexes us."

"Charming," said Neville. "Do you find that attractive in a girl?"

"Guys!" Lavender said. "You're girls tonight. We have to talk about guys, not girls."

"Oh you _have_ to see this movie," Hermione said, taking out her portable player and a box. "It's about pirates and ghosts and stuff and has two very yummy actors in it."

"Ooh," said Ron. "She's hot."

Lavender slapped him over the head. "Right…" he said, giving the person on the DVD box one last look. "Being a girl is hard…"

"No it's not," said Neville happily, putting an arm round Lavender and Parvati. "So what do you want to watch?"

"Well," said Lavender. "He does look rather delicious," she said, pointing to the man in the hat.

The girls all giggled. The boys slumped slightly.

"Remind me to never agree to this again," Ron muttered as they settled down and Hermione pressed "play".

"Good morning," Lavender said cheerfully, coming down the stairs for breakfast. She looked at George, Alicia, Bill and Fleur.

"Not that I don't love you guys, but seriously, don't you have your own homes to go to?"

"Of course we do," George said. "But our cooking's nowhere near as good as Mum's. And Lee's running the shop this morning."

"I thought he was in radio," Lavender said, helping herself to rashers.

"He is," said Alicia. "DJ Lee, the one and only River, catch him if you can. The latest news, the hottest gossip and the best tunes, five 'til nine weekdays, only on WWN."

"You sound like an advertiser," Hermione said, coming in.

"I am," said Alicia. "You cannot say you haven't heard the Skiving Snackbox ad yet,"

"That's you?" Hermione said surprised. "It sounds like a fifty year old man."

"Lissa _is_ a fifty year old man, didn't you know?" George said.

Lavender rolled her eyes.

"So 'ow did the plan go last night?" Fleur asked.

"I dumped him," Lavender said. "He's not worth the bother,"

"Hear hear," said Bill.

"We were talking," said Fleur. "And we thought, since Ginny is coming home soon, per'aps you would like to stay with us at Christmas. We would be over here for the Day, and I am sure you would like to see your own family, but maybe a place to live, a room of your own-"

Lavender looked from Fleur to her husband. "I'd love that," she said with a smile. "Thanks for the offer."

"No problem," Bill said, grinning. "You can be the one getting up to tend to Victoire."

"I wouldn't actually mind," Lavender said. "Your house is awesome!"

"You see?" said Harry. "You don't need Seamus, all you need is Ron's older brother and his wife."

Lavender rolled her eyes. "No, you're right though. But guys, if I could, you have no idea how much I would love that."

"Well, maybe you can move in sometime soon," said Bill.

"Thank you so much!" she said. "You are being serious right?"

Fleur nodded.

"Well, when can I move in?"

"Any time you like," Bill said. "We'd love to have someone else capable of conversation around."

"Cool!" Lavender said with pure enthusiasm.

There were a couple of smiles around the table. Lavender caught them.

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Ron said a little too quickly.

"What are you guys planning?" she asked. "Sorry, Bill, Fleur, but I refuse to be thrown out of this house only to be rejected at yours and made a laughing stock."

"We'd never do that for a laugh," said George. "We'd never go too far for a laugh."

Ron spluttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Ahem, Teddy spider, Unbreakable Vow, ahem."

George looked at him with distaste. "You threw a knife at us."

"That wasn't for a laugh, you were insulting-" Ron turned a bright red and stopped talking.

"What?" asked Lavender, eager for news.

"Oh, nothing," George said carelessly.

"No, I'm intrigued now."

Harry suddenly found his cereal very interesting.

"What were they insulting Ron?" Lavender asked. "Go on, tell me, I won't tell anybody."

Ron's ears burned. She kicked him under the table.

He mumbled something.

"Didn't catch that," Alicia said.

"You," he said a little louder.

The whole table roared with laughter. Lavender giggled, then ran over to give him a hug.

"I love you Ron. As a friend, and not as much as you love Hermione," she said, winking at Hermione.

"So aren't you going to work?"

"Yup," Lavender said, grabbing her coat off the hook on the door. "So I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"Bye!" everybody called after her.

She walked a little distance before Disapparating.

Adam and Roisin were already waiting in the corridor outside her office. She smiled, catching sight of their entwined fingers and mentally punching the air in celebration of her matchmaking skills. Then her smile turned into a frown, looking at the door of her office.

"Why haven't you gone in?"

"Door doesn't open," Adam said.

"Oh, yeah, I locked it on Saturday before I headed off." She frowned. "Wow, has it been a long weekend," she said, rummaging for her key.

"You work on Saturdays?"

"No, I had an emergency meeting with- why doesn't my key work?"

The door refused to open.

"Don't know," Adam said.

Lavender hopped to look in the window, but couldn't see anything. She rapped on the door. A burly workman opened it. "Yes?" he asked.

"What are you doing in my office?"

His head vanished, a hand threw a piece of paper out and the door slammed again.

"It's from Minister Shacklebolt," Lavender said, reading it. "Guys, I'm sorry, looks like we're going to have to call it a day. Can we reschedule, I'll send you an owl."

"Sure," Roisin said. "What d'you reckon is it?"

"I have no idea, but I have to go and speak to the Minister for Magic. Ooh, I feel important," Lavender grinned. "I'll see you."

She Apparated to the Atrium and jumped into the lift.

"Lavender, what are you doing here?" came Harry's surprised voice as he and Ron made their way up to Level Two.

"Um, Minister for Magic. Need to have some words with him."

"You sound like Mum," Ron said. "Words with him."

Harry sniggered.

They got out at Level Two, and Lavender was the only person left in the lift.

It reached its destination and she stomped out. A large gold sign on a door straight ahead read "Minister for Magic." She went over and knocked on it three times.

"Come in," said a low deep voice.

She opened the door. The Minister looked up.

"Um, Miss Brown? Can I help you?"

"You closed my office!" she said in a high pitched voice.

Shacklebolt smiled. "Yes."

"Well, open it again!"

"I'm afraid I can't."

"'Course you can, you closed me up in the first place!"

"Take a seat," he said, gesturing to the leather chair in front of his desk. "Now, your office has been closed for renovations."

"With no notice?"

"The money for the renovations came from an anonymous benefactor, but the terms were that it would have to be done within this week."

"Who was it?"

"That would defeat the purpose of their being _anonymous_, Miss Brown."

"Well, what am I supposed to do for a week?"

"What have you been doing this weekend?"

"You really don't want to know that sir," she said. "What, so I just sit around and not do anything useful all day."

He grinned. "Yup. That's what I do."

She sighed. "Alright. But I won't forget this."

Shacklebolt stood up and held the door open for her. "Trust me, you won't."

He shut the door behind her.

"Well, what the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"It usually has something to do with spoons," Mafalda Hopkirk said wisely as she passed.

"I mean, he just closed my office! No warning!" Lavender said, brandishing her fork. "So I have to cancel all my appointments and sit around doing nothing for a week!"

"Because that's such a terrible fate," Ron said, his mouth full of potato.

"Well, why don't you take the opportunity?" Bill asked.

"Guys, why are you here?" Lavender said. "I thought you only came for breakfast."

"It's a Monday, we're always here on a Monday," George said.

"Anyway, what do you mean 'take the opportunity'?"

"Start packing," Fleur said.

"Are you quite sure you want to be burdened with me?"

"Yes," she said. "It will be nice."

"I talk in my sleep."

"It's true," Hermione said.

"I'm a terrible cook."

"Er, hello? We're always round here anyway," Bill answered.

"I always borrow people's stuff without asking."

"My boots looked very good on you," Fleur grinned.

"I come in late."

"If Mum can handle it, we can too," Bill laughed.

"Oh, and I change into a giant dog once a month."

"_Pas de probleme,"_ Fleur said.

"Then I guess I'll start packing," Lavender said, and the two of them applauded.


	20. Chapter 20

Before you ask, this is going somewhere. There is a bigger plan. This is just me having a bit of fun with my characters... trust me, it is all going somewhere, but oh, this chapter and the next one were too much fun to resist... Enjoy!

(And wow, I feel almost treachorous considering I updated so fast...;D)

* * *

Lavender spent the next few days packing (it was surprising that since moving to the Burrow her belongings had spread out and seemingly multiplied). She left the kettle on the stove, Mrs. Weasley loved it. Bill and Fleur smiled and beckoned her over to the fireplace.

"Hey, you'll be here for breakfast, and dinner most likely," Ron said hugging her tightly.

"I know," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and moving onto Harry. "It's been fun that's all."

"Hey, you're still welcome to drag us along on your harebrained schemes," he said with a laugh.

"My harebrained schemes? Like, dragging the national hero into Hogwarts?"

"Something like that," he said, receiving his own kiss. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," she said, breaking apart and throwing her arms round Hermione. "Bye Hermione," she said. "It's been great sharing a room with you again."

"Well, you're tidier than Ginny at any rate," she said, as the two pecked each other on the cheek.

"We'll probably see you tomorrow," Hermione said.

"Right, bye!" Lavender said, taking the Floo Powder.

"Shell Cottage!" she said, grasping her trunk. She spun round and landed heavily in the small, bright house.

"You are in ze second bedroom," Fleur said. "Victoire is in ze smallest, because she is ze smallest. We will move her, eventually, but of course, she does not need the space yet."

The room was light and airy, decorated in pale cream and gold. Fleur had very good taste. Lavender unpacked and stretched out on the bed, unable to believe her luck. Her life had changed so drastically.

A couple of hours later, Fleur called her down for dinner.

"I'm so sorry Fleur, I should have helped."

"It is no trouble. You can help next time, yes?"

She seemed to have learnt a thing or two off Mrs. Weasley, although as Bill laughed, no one could ever be _that_ good.

She spent the next two days settling in. Victoire wasn't too noisy, she was an inquisitive little thing with huge crystal eyes like Fleur's own.

On Friday night, Lavender lay on the hearth rug, her face on her hands, tuning the radio until she heard the final bars of a familiar song.

"Good evening, and welcome back," said a familiar voice. "That was the Weird Sister's newest single _Cruciatus: What You're Doing To Me. _Interestingly enough, Myron Wagtail has said that the song is dedicated to those who survived the Battle of Hogwarts. Brilliant. Thanks for that Myron, I've always wanted a song dedicated to me."

"Lee always sings his own praises," Bill said walking into the room.

"Anyway, you are listening to the Watch Wind Down, with me DJ Lee. And it's that time again, what I know you've all been waiting for. It's the Celebrity Round Up. Any questions you want answered, you can send your owls to me at WWN HQ, or alternatively, you can Floo your messages to the Watch Wind Down fireplace."

"Turn it off," Bill said. "You honestly don't want to listen to this."

Lavender frowned and her hand hovered over the dial. "Now," said Lee. "We've had a number of inquiries about a certain young werewolf who goes by the name of Lavender Brown."

She turned to look at Bill. "You'd think people would have better things to be doing than listening to Lee Jordan talk about my social life."

"Apparently not."

"Well, Miss Goshawk of Surrey, never fear, I have the answers. Now, as we all know Lavender's been in the news a lot lately. But this weekend, well, let's just say that things have got a little mad around Miss Brown."

"What?" Lavender said, sitting up. "How does he know- George!"

Bill grimaced. "I'm afraid so."

"The strangest thing about it all is that the Golden Trio has become a Golden Quartet. That's right, that old Invisibility Cloak appears to have room in it for one extra, perfect for sneaking into Hogwarts. You heard it here first folks. Harry, Hermione and Ron, our favourite teens, were found with Lavender inside the girl's dorms. That's another exclusive source-"

Lavender grabbed a piece of paper and began scribbling.

"What are you doing?" Bill asked, amused.

"Making a list of people I am going to kill. Lee, George, and Rosa."

"Then on Saturday, this seemingly quiet girl, a human rights activist and politician, was found in the company of two rather drunk ladies, who for the sake of respecting our elders, I'm not going to name. Let's just say that they're not early birds."

Bill laughed.

"And finally, Sunday night. The hottest couple of the season are no more it would seem. That's right girlies, Seamus Finnegan, voted Witch Weekly's seventh sexiest wizard is free and single. Why did Lavender decide to end it? Well, Mr. Hannah, as you quite rightly said, neither your wife nor I can work it out. What will her next wild move be, who knows? Keep those messages coming in, address your owls to-"

Lavender sat up, then stood up, and grabbed the pot of Floo Powder.

"Lavender, what are you doing?"

"Going to murder Lee Jordan."

"His fireplace is filtered, only messages can get through."

Fleur came in from the dining room with Victoire on her hip. "Ah, George used our fireplace though, to get in."

Bill smacked his head. "I forgot that. What was the address?"

"Nineteen Buckshire Way," Fleur said. "But Lavender, I wouldn't advise-"

"Now, everybody wants to know the results of our latest competition, so I'm going to announce the winner of the pair of tickets to the Celestina Warbeck concert- um, sorry folks, just a second." Lee slammed his microphone down. "Lavender?" he hissed.

Lavender picked up the microphone. "Um, hi everybody, I'm not really the kind of person that usually does mad stuff like this-" she shot Lee a look. "But desperate times call for desperate measures."

Lee grabbed the microphone off her. "You can't just put yourself on air!" he said, switching it off. "And how did you get in here?"

"I have sources too," she said, reaching for the microphone.

There was a knock at the door, and a stern looking woman with blonde hair looked in. "Lee, you've stopped recording. And who was that-" she looked at Lavender. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm the werewolf everyone's been talking about," she said sarcastically.

The woman's eyes widened. "Lee, we should have advertised if you were doing an interview."

"We're not!" he said as Lavender jumped up, trying to grab at the microphone. "She just turned up here and tried to gouge my eyes out."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, put her on air, it'll push our ratings up."

"But she's going to say mean things about me!" Lee whined

"Because you've never done that to me," Lavender retorted.

The woman came over, grabbed the microphone and flicked the switch. "Good evening, sorry for the break in transmission, Lee's here with a special guest."

She pressed some button on the table, and a voice said "Tune in to the Watch Wind Down, with DJ Lee, the one and only river, catch him if you can, five 'til nine weeknights, only on WWN."

Lee made a rather rude gesture in her direction. "Hi folks," he said into the microphone. "Sorry about that, somebody nice and friendly turned up in my studio to give her views on what's happening. So, I was planning to give you the latest low-down on what's been going on with those pretty little things at the Holyhead Harpies, but my friend here wants to address you. Get ready for the one you all want to hear about. She's big, she's back, and she's beautiful, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Lavender Brown!"

And once he had given her the intro, she didn't have a clue what she was going to say.

"Um, hi, everybody," she said nervously. "Now that I'm here this doesn't seem like such a good plan after all…"

Lee gave a low, short laugh. Lavender shot him a pair of dagger eyes.

"Okay, well 'DJ Lee' thinks that you're all desperate to know about my love life. Well, apparently I've just broken up with Witch Weekly's Number Seven, is that actually true?"

Lee grimaced and put a copy of the magazine on the table. Lavender suppressed a laugh. "Everybody, Lee reads Witch Weekly."

"I don't, it's Angelina's-"

"Anyway, you're probably wondering what on earth possessed me to break up with this oh so sexy guy, are you?" She remembered she couldn't hear their responses. "Seamus Finnegan in a pig. A complete and utter pig. Do you hear me Seamus? Whatever you were hiding in that room of yours. Oh that's right, he won't let me into his apartment. Apparently it's a 'surprise'. That is the lamest excuse for an excuse I have ever heard in my life, and I was in Defence Against the Dark Arts class with Gregory Goyle for seven years, I've heard some pretty bad excuses.

"So all those Romilda Vanes out there, you're welcome to him. Because frankly, he isn't worth it. Sure, he's hot, and he's charming, and sweet, and kind and thoughtful… the point is, when push comes to shove, no matter how much he may do for you, you can never do enough for him. Fact. He always wants more. I'm not superwoman, Finny! I can't just make it up with my parents, and make friends with everybody around me and forgive people for all the nasty things they've done to me and to my kind like that. It's not easy. You really thought that if you asked me to, I would go and everything would be fine and dandy? Merlin, are you living in the middle ages? And the worst thing about it is that while I was off trying to do everything at once, trying to help all the people who need it, trying to get Cathy a place in Hogwarts, trying to help Beth and Henry to adopt, for getting Adam onto a team, Merlin, for trying to get Roisin a decent boyfriend, you were off doing your own thing, because I wasn't good enough. Well guess what? I did what you asked, Merlin, I tried, and tried, and I made up with my little sister and I thought maybe you'd give me a break. But instead you've just blown me off and found some girl to hide away in your apartment.

"Have fun whispering sweet nothings in her ear. I hope the two of you are very happy together. She'll enjoy it, whoever she is, and she'll probably follow everything you say, and who knows, maybe it'll be enough. But I am completely over you, and Merlin, I've just gone on national radio to say so."

She gave a huge breath out. Lee cleared his throat.

"Right," he said. "Well, we can safely say that's one celebrity couple that knows exactly where it is." He seemed to smile as he said this. Lavender frowned.

Lavender grabbed the microphone again. "We're not a couple. Also, I want to say, please support our cause. Get those petitions coming in. We want to be teachers and shopkeepers in every area of the country. Just because we turn into a giant dog once a month doesn't mean we're bad people."

"Well, if Lavender's finished," Lee began warily, Lavender nodded. "Brilliant. If you have questions or comments, send those owls in, or you can Floo your messages to Watch Wind Down fireplace. We're going to have a break up here, why don't you listen the Hobgoblins, with _Every Owl I Send You _right here on WWN."

He waved his wand and collapsed in the chair beside hers. "Wow," he said.

"Sorry, I needed to get it out."

He shook his head. "It's fine. Our ratings have probably shot up."

She grinned. "Tip: don't gossip about me in future. Never know what the general public will think of it."

Lee shrugged. "It's my job."

There was a pause. A rumble came from the fireplace. Lavender frowned. "What's that?" she asked.

He frowned. "Um, I think we're about to find out what the general public thinks of it."

There was a whoosh of parchment and the letters flew into the room. Lavender grabbed one and read quickly

"_Well done for standing up for your rights Lavender. We're all behind you. Lizzie."_

"Nice," Lee commented. "_You're an inspiration to every girl out there. Nice job."_

"_Congratulations for not being like every other celebrity out there. Good for you! Emmet. PS- now that you're single, how about we… _okay, I won't finish reading that one."

"They actually like me Lee! Wow…"

'"Course they like you," he said, sitting down in his chair. "What isn't to like? Apart from the fact you assault people to get hold of their microphone and try to scratch their eyes out."

"I did not-"

"Hello, and welcome back. That was the Hobgoblins with _Every Owl I Send You. _Useful fact, that song topped the charts for nine weeks back in 1979. Now, you've all been sending in your messages regarding our shotgun interview, Elise from Nottingham says…"

"What do you mean, it isn't ready?" Lavender was fit to explode two days later in the Minister's office.

He shrugged. "The builders. They're not finished yet."

"This isn't funny Minister. I have people out there depending on me."

"Oh, no, they can wait," he said lightly.

Lavender frowned. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean? Nothing's going on."

"Everybody's been saying that lately, but you're all terrible liars. What's going on?"

"Absolutely nothing. Take another week off."

"I don't want another week off!"

"Of course you do. Christmas is coming up, why don't you start shopping?"

"Because I'm not earning anything because I don't have a job because you closed my office!"

Shacklebolt opened his desk drawer and took out a sack. "Have some gold."

"Minister, I can't-"

"Oh, of course you can."

"Christmas is weeks away!"

"In any case, isn't full moon coming up soon?"

"Saturday."

"Exactly. Potion to brew?"

"I buy it, actually!"

"Good for you, helping boost the economy."

"Minister, what the hell is happening to my office?" Lavender asked standing up and taking out her wand. "Tell me or I'll hex you."

He stood up calmly. "I really think you need to talk to someone in higher authority."

Lavender was taken back. "Who?"

Shacklebolt came round his desk and pushed her gently backwards.

"What are you doing?" she asked, as he steered her into the fireplace. "Sir, what-"

He took a pinch of the familiar powder and tossed it into the flames, before sending her flying gracelessly in afterwards, with her arms flailing.

"Number Ten Downing Street," he called. "I'll come pick you up soon."

"What do you mean pick me-" she finished falling onto a richly woven carpet in a posh office. She looked up. A tired looking Muggle only looked slightly shocked at her appearance.

"Up…" she finished.


	21. Chapter 21

I am actually terrified how fast this update came...

So, this is dedicated to a Prime Minister close to my own heart. No, not Bertie, although he was the person who inspired me to write this :D. The Prime Minister of Procrasti: Q8iya, here is your British equivalent :D

Enjoy, and sorry if you're frightened by the high speed :D...

* * *

The Muggle cleared his throat and said "Can I help you?"

"Where am I? Number Ten Down-" she frowned, the address sounded familiar from class. She thought back to the day when Professor Burbage had talked about the address… that was the week that Dean, her Muggle Studies buddy (who was taking it for a laugh, they both were, having lived with Muggles they thought it would be an easy "O") was sick and Seamus (somebody else who thought it was an easy "O", after all, he was half-blood as well) had sat with her. Number Ten Downing Street.

"Oh dear," she said. "You're the Prime Minister."

"Yes, I am, and you are-"

"Lavender Brown. K- Minister Shacklebolt sent me here. I hope to Merlin you know who he is, else I'll have to do a memory charm, and they're not easy."

"No," the Prime Minister said tiredly. "I know who he is. I'm sure you're an admirable person Miss Brown, but I'm afraid that I have an appointment-"

"No you don't," said a painting in the corner that looked remarkably similar to the one in Kingsley's office. "He's forgotten."

Lavender looked from the Prime Minister to the painting. "Okay, I'm obviously causing a bit of trouble here, I guess I'll just Apparate home-"

"Can't," the painting said shortly. "Non-Apparition charms all over."

"Well, I'll just go down the road then," she said making for the door.

"Minister Shacklebolt's locked them," the painting said. "He says you two should talk."

Lavender held her hands up in despair and turned back to the Prime Minister. "Sorry about this," she said. "He just kind of shoved me into the fireplace and sent me here. And look, there's soot all over my skirt." She took her wand out and Vanished it.

The Prime Minister looked rather nervous. "Um…"

"Oh, don't worry, I won't hurt you." She held out a hand. "I'm head of the Werewolf Rehabilitation Facility and President of the Werewolf Liaison Office and Werewolf Support Services."

He looked slightly taken back as he shook her hand. "So you're a-"

"Werewolf." She smiled. "Would you like to see the scars?" she offered. "Often seeing the actual injuries can often help people get to grips with the problem in hand."

"No, no," he said adamantly. "No, that's quite alright. Um, why don't you sit down?"

She took a seat in the leather upholstered chair. "Sorry," she said. "If it's any comfort, I don't want to be here either."

"Actually, you could help me," he said, taking out a large white sheet of card. "Can you believe they want me to colour co-ordinate my own election campaign? I mean, I don't know what red is which." He looked really desperate. "Do you want to help?"

"Of course," she said, taking the sheet. "Do you have colours?"

He handed her a tin of pencils.

"Here, you do one as well," she said, pointing at the other sheets. "Then we can compare!"

He lifted one of the other sheets to his place and took some pencils. Lavender bent down and began to colour.

"So, you know Minister Shacklebolt then?"

"Believe it or not, he used to work for me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he was my secretary. Then one day, he's been missing for about six months, turns up and says 'Hey, I'm Minister for Magic!'"

"Well, that must have been awkward."

"A bit. But I like Kingsley. Much better than that Scrimgeour guy."

"I know, he burnt a hole in Harry's favourite shirt."

The Prime Minister looked up. "What?"

"Harry Potter. You might not have heard of him, but he's kind of the saviour of the magical world. He's a national hero. So am I, come to think of it."

"Why do I get the feeling the magical world is a very small place where everybody knows each other?"

"Oh, it isn't really," she said, shading a very patriotic shade of blue. "I just happened to be in the circle."

"Oh, you just happened to be in 'the circle'?" he said, making speech marks in the air with his hand.

She laughed. "I shared a room with Hermione Granger for six years. I went out with Ron Weasley. I got attacked by Fenrir Greyback. I got drunk and nearly kissed Neville Longbottom. I was in the DA, at the battle of Hogwarts. Oh, I got taught by Remus Lupin. And I just broke up with Witch Weekly's seventh most sexy guy."

"You have a busy life. And you're a politician."

"Human rights activist. And national hero. And fashion icon."

"Yeah, those three don't really go together in our world."

"Not in ours either, then again, I'm part of the generation that changes everything."

"And what are you, early twenties?"

"Nineteen," she said with a grin. "Hey, do you look good in green?"

He made a face. "You're not seriously dressing me in green on an election poster?"

She held the page up. "Yeah, I just thought… never mind, I'll go for sky blue."

"Good choice," he said. "So do you want to explain it all to me?"

"Surely Kingsley-Minister S-"

"You can call him Kingsley, I do."

"Well, surely he explained to you."

The Prime Minister sighed. "Yeah, but everyday there was something new, and then he vanished."

"Oh yeah, he got caught by the Taboo."

"The what now?"

"They put a Taboo on the name, do you know who You-Know-Who is?"

"Oh Lord Vol-thingy."

"Yeah. Well, I call him Riddle. That's his real name."

"So he's definitely dead? I mean, they thought he was dead once before apparently, and then poof! He was alive."

"No, he's definitely dead. Harry killed him."

"Right. So you know Harry? Is he in 'the circle'?"

"Are you kidding, the circle's drawn around him. Speaking of which-" she held up the flesh pencil and charmed it to look his colour.

"That's cheating!" he complained.

"What, it's too ruddy, people will think you're drunk. They don't want a drunk Prime Minister."

He sighed and went back to colouring his jacket a violent shade of purple.

"So, who's Harry? I don't want his history, I want to know _who_ he is. You seem to know him pretty well."

"Right, about half a head or so taller than me, but his hair adds about six inches. All messy and black. Bright green eyes, and this scar, like a lightning bolt, right here." She pointed to just above the end of her left eyebrow. "And these signature glasses, big and round, really old things. He's pretty sound, all in all. Makes good jokes sometimes. Pretty clever. Brilliant Seeker. Crap at Divination, he used to make it all up."

"Divination?"

"Divining the future. We used to take the class together. It was my favourite."

The Prime Minister coughed. "You can predict the future?"

"Oh yes. Sometimes. I mean, I'm not a real Seer, but I can do some palmistry, crystal gazing. I'm good with tea leaves as well."

"So, um, you could tell me if I was going to win the next election?"

She grabbed his hand and stared at it. "Yes, I could tell you. But that would be lulling you into a false sense of confidence."

"So I'm going to win?" he asked, excited.

"Maybe. The future changes depending on every single tiny decision we make so I don't know. I mean, if you decide to wear that jacket on the election poster…"

He looked down at his sheet. "You don't like it?"

"Purple, not your colour."

"Right," he said, taking a blue and going over it. "So go on. Who else is in 'the circle'?"

"Well, there's Ron Weasley, all the Weasleys really."

"Who are they?"

"They're a family. If you ever see anyone with red hair, you can put your money on them having a Weasley connection. They're kind of poor, but they're all in Gryffindor. Molly, that's the mother, she's really accommodating. And apparently an awesome dueller. She killed Bellatrix Lestrange. She was like, top Death Eater."

"Death Eater?"

"Riddle's followers," Lavender said, scribbling teal along the horizon behind his head. "Of course, I was down by that point, I missed all the good stuff. Typical Greyback, changes my life, _and_ puts me out of action for the best bit of the battle."

"Right. Who's Greyback?"

"The werewolf who bit me. Ron and Neville took him down."

"Are you sure this is just 'the circle'? I seriously think it's just a small world."

"Six degrees of separation," she said with a shrug.

"Your politics sound so simple."

"Yeah, but a lot of people died. Hey, do you have any pinks?"

"What on earth do you want pink for?"

"I was just going to give you rosy cheeks."

"If you must," he said, relinquishing the pink pencil. "So, these Weasleys?"

"Oh yeah. Well, they're all over, I mean, there's Arthur in Muggle Connections-that's you guys, Muggles, Molly, who everyone in the entire country knows for being a good cook, Bill and his wife Fleur, yeah, I'm living with them, you know, Fleur Delacour? Well, obviously you don't know her, but she was a champion at the Triwizard Tournament."

"Wait, that was the thing they had to bring three dragons over for?"

"Four actually, Moody put Harry's name in the Goblet. Of course, then he turned out not to be Moody at all, he was Barty Crouch, but according to Hermione he does a very good impression. The real Moody died though. Pity. I would have enjoyed working with him."

"Wait, this is Harry Potter again?"

"I told you 'the circle' revolves around Harry. Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, everybody idolizes him, and the Auror office now as well. When we were in Fourth Year, he got involved in the Triwizard Tournament, so they had to bring an extra dragon over."

"And nobody told me?" He looked outraged.

"Well, seriously, what were you going to do about it?"

"I don't know," he said, throwing his pencil down. "You can see how I feel about all this. I get to the top-"

"Only to find there's a whole world right under your nose you didn't know about and they all act superior to you. It was the same for my Mum when she won the tournament in the tennis club where she met Dad." Lavender frowned a little as she said this.

He bent over to look at her. "Yes?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. I just fell out with my parents. They object to my lycanthropy."

"Right," he said. "That must not be very nice."

"Eh, they weren't great company. Mum was thoroughly Muggle about _everything_ and Dad just never intervened."

"Ah," he said nodding wisely. "It's like that in my house."

Lavender laughed. "Okay, so I'm almost done," she said, blowing off her sheet. "Ready?"

"Go for it."

"Tada!" she said, holding it up.

The Prime Minister paused. "Miss Brown, as sure as I am that your sense of fashion leaves nothing to be desired, I do have to question your choice of shirt?"

"What, you don't like it?"

"It's just, a little, bright."

"You're appealing to the larger community," she said with a shrug then grinned. "Us."

"Do you vote?"

Lavender shrugged. "I will, if it's any help. Well, I'll have to register. Does that take long?"

He shrugged. "Couldn't you just magic it in?"

"Don't be silly, you can't do everything by magic," she said rolling her eyes. "Paperwork is practically an Exception to Gamp's Law."

He looked questioningly up at her.

"Don't ask me, ask Hermione."

"Is she in 'the circle'?"

"Yeah, her and Ron were with Harry that whole year. She's like, the cleverest person in the world probably. Anyway, her and Ron are engaged now, it's really sweet."

"And Harry?"

"Oh, well, him and Ginny were voted Witch Weekly's hottest couple."

"Why do I get the feeling you judge everything by Witch Weekly?"

"I don't! Not since I found out what Gilderoy Lockhart was really like, yuck. I read it for the hair and make-up."

He laughed. "Okay, so where was Witch Weekly's seventh whatever in the circle?"

"Ron and Harry's roommate. He and Parvati and I became the seconds in command in Dumbledore's Army after Ginny and Luna got taken out of Hogwarts."

"The same Ginny?"

"Yup."

"Same Hogwarts?"

"How many Hogwarts do you think are out there? Well yeah, it was Riddle's favourite place-"

"His boarding school," the Prime Minister said flatly.

"I know, he was weird. Evil and weird," she said.

"Aren't dastardly villains usually?"

"Yeah, I guess so. And like all dastardly villains, he was thwarted in the end!"

"I'll drink to that," he said, pouring two glasses of red wine from a bottle on the far end of the desk.

"Cheers," Lavender said, clinking glasses with him.

"And what about Mr. Number Seven? Was he thwarted like every evil villain?"

Lavender shrugged. "He isn't. Not really." She breathed out angrily. "You know, it was just, I didn't feel I could trust him anymore. I don't know why."

"You've never had that problem before?"

Lavender frowned. "No. I mean, we went out when we were younger, I broke up with him because I didn't like him anymore. And I would still trust him, with my life. But… I don't know. He's keeping secrets from me."

"Well, to give my non-objective opinion, don't we all have secrets?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "For instance, I have this secret, these people come out of my fireplace and tell me about evil wizards and I talk to a painting."

She laughed again. "I suppose you're right. But…" She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'm still in love with him, I'm just convincing myself reasons why I'm not."

He nodded sagely. "Glad that my experience at leading a country can help your social life."

"Thank you," she said. "This has been a most interesting meeting."

"Indeed. I now know that a turquoise tie with orange spots is the way to go for election posters."

There was a whoosh at the fireplace.

"Have you calmed down yet Lavender?" Kingsley asked, shaking soot off his robe sleeves.

"Yes, actually. Mr… er, Prime Minister and I were just having a drink."

"Would you like to come home?" he said. "And not throw a temper tantrum at getting given money and time off to go Christmas shopping."

"Okay," she said, draining her glass and standing up. "I guess I'll see you around," she said to the Prime Minister.

"Oh," Kingsley said, catching sight of the poster. "I'm sure people will vote for you in that colour scheme."

"I'll see you then Lavender," the Prime Minister winked, but she wasn't sure if it was for her or Kingsley.

They Flooed back to the Minister's office.

"Now, take the money and shop," he said.

Lavender paused. "There really is something going on isn't there?"

He shrugged. "You'll find out soon enough," he said, closing her out of the office and wondering once again what on earth everybody was planning.


	22. Chapter 22

Sorry it's taken so long! I've been busy, and am going to get busier still, OWLs and all that!

So, for my apology, I have a challenge for all you readers. If you can guess the signifigance of the names of all the Vance family members, I will write you a fluffy OneShot for the couple of your choice. The relationships they have with each other (ie. mother, daughter or sister) aren't important, it's just the names. I'll give you a hint, Christie is short for Christabel.

Anyway, still building up here...

Enjoy!

* * *

Lavender took the gold, thinking of it as a Christmas bonus rather than a bribe, and spent the week in Diagon Alley window shopping. By Wednesday, she still hadn't found anything that suited anybody she knew, she had always been picky about presents, except that one time when she gave Ron that horrible necklace.

She was standing outside Flourish and Blotts, considering what the best gift to get Hermione would be, when a voice behind her said "Excuse me, are you Lavender Brown?"

She twirled around. It was a girl who had spoken, she was a little older than Rosa, with thin caramel coloured hair, a pale face and hazel eyes. Lavender smiled. "Yes," she said with a laugh.

"Can I have your autograph?" she asked.

"Sure, but I don't have any paper," Lavender said.

"I'll get some," the girl said, running into the shop. Her mother smiled, the skin around her own hazel eyes crinkling.

"She's a Squib," she said, almost proudly. "But she takes a huge interest in what her sister's Witch Weeklies have to say." She held out a hand. "Sylvia Vance," she introduced herself. Lavender shook her hand.

"Was your sister-"

"Emmeline, yes," a shadow passed across her face.

"I'm sorry," Lavender said. "She was apparently a great witch,"

Sylvia shrugged. "Life goes on, look at my daughter."

The girl came rushing out again with a quill and a scrap of paper. Lavender scribbled her signature on it.

"Come on Christie," she said. "I'm sure Miss Brown doesn't want to be harboured with us."

"No that's alright. Doing some early Christmas shopping." Lavender sighed. "So far I haven't bought anything. I love your robes," she said, the pinkish red inlay catching her eye. "Is that Twilfit and Tattings? I can never afford to go in there," Lavender pointed at her own robes.

"No, they're just Madam Malkin's, well I altered them slightly, she tends to give you a rather shapeless waist, so I just pulled that in," Sylvia said, pointing to the row of neat gold stitches.

"Mum, can Lavender come shopping with us? Please?" asked Christie. "I bet she has really good taste."

Lavender grinned as Sylvia protested. "No, I'd like that, if that's alright with you."

"Of course," Sylvia said. "If you're sure you don't mind."

"Not at all," Lavender said. "I'd love to. Might actually buy something instead of hovering over this, then looking at that."

"Are you buying presents for Harry Potter?" Christie asked.

"Oh, I was going to get him Seeker's gloves, but I don't know."

"Hermione?"

"A book, but I don't know which."

"Ron?"

"I don't know, the last Christmas present I gave him… let's just say I owe him big time."

Christie smiled. "Come with us!"

They went into Flourish and Blotts. There was a table with bestsellers sitting on it, and a familiar face caught Lavender's eye.

"_Hermione Granger: Attracted to Danger?_," she read. "No one told me Rita had struck again!"

"Oh, that only came in this morning," a clerk informed her. "It's been a secret up until now, for Rita's own safety apparently."

Lavender flipped open the front cover.

"_By now we all now the story of the Golden Trio,_" she read. _"But do we really? In this book, Rita Skeeter, author of _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore _and _Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived to Die_, leads an in-depth trail to the heart of the mysteries surrounding the uncommonly talented Muggle Born witch who flung herself into magical life. This book explores all the scandal through Granger's teens, the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of her seemingly normal parents, her affections towards famous wizard player Viktor Krum and the raging fights that stormed between her and Lavender Brown. In this book, with her unerring journalist's quill, Skeeter looks at all aspects of her life and poses the question that now, is everything as good as she makes it out to be? Find out what went on in that tent with Mr. Potter, what still may be going on, and Hermione's seeming magnetism towards any man who can fly? Can her engagement to Ron Weasley be fulfilled faithfully, and will her reputation not mar her future career? Read inside to find out!_"

Lavender slammed the book shut. "I'm just going to pretend this doesn't exist," she said, putting it back on the table. "I mean, the one about Harry was bad enough."

"You'll be next," Sylvia said, grinning.

"I had better not be," Lavender said sharply, flicking to the back of the book. "_Coming soon from Rita Skeeter:_ Ron Weasley: Forgotten, Not Forgiven_, and _Lavender Brown: Colourful or Criminal?" Lavender threw the book down. "Can I threaten her, do you think? I mean, do you think an army of rabid werewolves would frighten her more than revealing she's a beetle?"

There was a collective gasp around the shop.

"No, no, I'm not really going to set an army- it was a joke!" she said hastily.

"Rita can turn into a beetle?"

"Woops, did I say that out loud? How foolish of me? Yes, she's an unregistered Animagus, didn't you know?"

There was another gasp. Lavender grinned. "She can have a taste of her own medicine," she said to Sylvia.

"Yes, but now you have a problem."

"Like I didn't already, Rita's writing a book on me!"

"No, not that, I mean that Flourish and Blotts make a huge amount from Rita, and you've just ruined her career and-"

"Right. Run!" Lavender said, noticing some angry sales assistants.

They ran laughing out of the shop. "I guess that we can go to Obscurus," Lavender said. "I still don't know what to get Hermione."

"Why don't you do other people first?" Christie said.

"Yeah, maybe I'll get robes for Parvati, she'd like that."

Christie gasped. "Can we go to Twilfit and Tattings, Mum never lets me go in there!"

"Sure. The Minister gave me money, I might as well spend it."

They went into the shop and were greeted by an assistant in pale green robes. "How may I help you?" she asked.

Lavender took in the whole shop. "I love this place," she said. "But I barely ever buy anything, I just look."

"Well, perhaps you'll buy something today," Sylvia said.

"Would you like to be measured?" the assistant asked, her charmed tape measures flicking in mid-air.

"No, I'm buying for a friend…"

"Do you know her measurements?"

"Well, I used to know them off by heart, but I've kind of forgotten."

"Wait!" said Christie. "Mum, where's my Witch Weekly?"

Sylvia rolled her eyes and took one out of her bag.

"Parvati Patil was this week's profile. She's five foot eight, waist t-"

"Right, we know them then," Lavender said. "That's useful."

"I told you we could help," Christie said happily. "What about these?"

They finally settled on a set of magenta robes with gold embroidery on the sleeves and laces down the back with a fitted waist. Lavender paid over the money, the robes were wrapped in fine tissue paper and they went back out into the drizzle.

"Shall we head down to Obscurus then? I mean, it's just across the road," Sylvia asked.

"Yeah, good plan. They'll have something in there for Hermione."

Obscurus was a lot more orderly than Flourish and Blotts. It was clean and bright, and all the books were stacked by subject behind the counter. The only problem with this was that Lavender had to ask for what she wanted.

"I'm looking for a book for a friend of mine that's read nearly everything on the face of the earth."

The man behind the counter grinned. "We get that here all the time. We have some new stock in that they might enjoy…"

Ten minutes later, the three left the shop with a volume entitled _Oddities of the Odd_, claiming to be _your definitive guide to the weirdest and most wonderful parts of the magical world_. It had at least a thousand pages, Lavender knew Hermione would devour it.

"Where next?" Christie asked. "What about Ron Weasley? Aunt Adela knows his dad, says he loves Muggle stuff."

"Yeah, I should get Arthur something. And Bill and Fleur as well… I have so much to buy this year! And Rosa…"

"Bill Weasley? The cursebreaker?" Sylvia asked sharply.

"Well, yeah. I live with them. What should I get? I mean, I really don't know. Oh, wait!"

She hurried back to the bookshop and bought a Muggle cooking book, _Best Breakfasts, How to Make Your Sausages Sizzle._

Sylvia looked at it. "The title is slightly racy," she said.

Lavender shook her head. "Private joke," she said.

"So where next?" Christie asked. "Are you buying something for Seamus Finnegan?"

The buoyant mood Lavender had been in disappeared. "I don't think so."

"_Witch Weekly _said you were over, but-" Christie inquired.

"No, we are."

"Good, I mean, bad, I mean-"

"My daughter has rather a soft spot for him," Sylvia grinned.

"Mum, you're not supposed to tell her that! Now she'll never hang out with us."

Lavender put a hand on Christie's shoulder. "You're not the first and you certainly won't be the last girl who's fallen for him, trust me."

"So he's rather charming, is he?" Sylvia smiled, as Christie looked slightly reassured that her new friend wasn't frightened away,

Lavender sighed. "Yeah, he's pretty charismatic. And pretty hot."

"But you're over him?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"You sound unsure," Sylvia said, and nudged her. "Are you?"

"No, no," she trailed off. "I don't think so. Did you not hear my broadcast?"

Christie grinned, then asked "Can you think of more of his good points or his bad points?"

Lavender bit her lip. "He's never satisfied. He listens to his mother far too much. He can be arrogant. Stubborn as a mule. He never listens to you. He's weak-minded."

"Weak-minded? Really?"

"In Fifth Year, he believed… but then, so did I… but only for a while… We fought about it and he came round I suppose, though things were apparently pretty icy…"

The two looked at her puzzled. She shook her head. "Doesn't matter. In any case, those must outnumber his good points."

"What are his good points then?" Christie asked.

"He's funny. He's brave, and loyal, he stuck with us in the Battle. He was there when I woke up. He's determined. He's good-looking. He's chatty, he's open…"

"And you're sure you're not still the tiniest little bit in love with him?" Christie asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Lavender said firmly.

"No you're not," Sylvia said. "I've heard that tone a hundred times off my sister Adela. And she was always unsure when she said it. About men, about clients, about cases, about money."

Lavender sighed. "I'm an emotional wreck, aren't I?"

"Well, yes," Christie said bluntly. "Not that that can't be fixed. All you have to do-"

"Don't say it," Lavender warned.

"Is get back together with him," the younger girl finished calmly. "As simple as that."

"I'd rather stay an emotional wreck, thanks," Lavender said, quickening her pace and heading to the apothecary."

"Oh, swallow your pride," said Sylvia. "Of course you wouldn't. You're just afraid. I thought you were a Gryffindor."

"I am!"

"Then find you courage," Sylvia said calmly, keeping up rather well, considering this close to full moon Lavender's step had a wolfish quality.

"I've known you for what, an hour, and you're giving me advice?" she said angrily. "I know what I'm doing."

"No you don't," Christie said, jogging along. "Face it. You've missed him."

Lavender was stopped in her tracks. "Yes. I suppose so. Yes I have. A lot. It's only been a few weeks, but… just the thought of him not being there, it's always been like that when he isn't around."

"Then just do it," Christie said wisely.

"I can't very well just go crawling back to him and say 'I'm sorry, I just realised, I'm hopelessly in love with you, I'm sorry I humiliated you on the radio, let's kiss and make up', can I?"

"Well, I wouldn't go about it quite like that," Sylvia said. "But you'll get the opportunity."

Lavender spun round at this. "What? What opportunity?"

Sylvia blushed. "Oh, nothing."

"What's going on? And why are complete strangers in on it?"

"Nothing. The apothecary or the menagerie next?"

Lavender scrutinized her. "I don't believe you, but you're not going to let on, are you?"

"Nope," Sylvia said.

Lavender sighed. "Fine. I'll just wait then, for whatever disaster's coming towards me."

"No disaster. Just, keep an open mind, hmm?"


	23. Chapter 23

Finally updated! I just finished at this point, I planned on going on, but I liked this stopping point. It's suspenseful :D...

So yeah... I need to update my profile and stuff as well. Also, that promise of a fluffy oneshot for a couple of your choice is still up for grabs! Just tell me, why would I call the Vances Sylvia and Christabel, and their aunt Adela, keeping in mind that the original Vance was called Emmeline? Come on, you can work it out... Just leave a review!

In fact, leave a review anyway!

So sorry it's uber short...

* * *

Full moon came on Saturday, Lavender settled down in front of the fireplace at Shell Cottage. Fleur came in several times to check on her and leave a bowl of hot chocolate beside her, the French way. She slept fitfully, waking groggily on Sunday morning. Bill was sitting on the sofa.

"You alright?" he asked.

She sat up. "Ugh. Fine. What are you doing up?"

"I just got Victoire down, I saw you transforming."

"Bill! You're not supposed to watch that."

"Sorry," he said. "Anyway, you want a drink or something?"

"Oh, please. I get this weird taste in my mouth when I change."

"Sure," he said grinning and moving into the kitchen.

"Oh, hey, did you see Witch Weekly yesterday?" Lavender asked, getting up and following him in.

"Um, no. Why would I?"

"Just out of interest. They were releasing the best looking women in the country, I want to know if I got ranked."

"Vain!" he shouted, pouring hot water from the kettle.

"Hey, says you, Mister Number Nine!"

"Seriously?" he said, turning around. "I'm Number Nine? Who's Number One?"

"Oh, some model dude. Not in the circle."

Bill looked quizzically at her.

"Private joke. Me and the Prime Minister."

"Right…" he said slowly. "Speaking of people in power, Kingsley was here while you were all… wolfy. He says your office is ready."

"Finally!" she said delightedly. "Oh, Merlin, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this. Hallelujah!"

He laughed. "I have never known somebody so eager to get back to work."

"That's just me," she said with a shrug. "Work is, like, my life now."

"What about family?"

"Bill, you know I don't talk to my parents anymore."

He shook his head. "I don't mean that family. I mean this family. Fleur and me, and Ron and Hermione and Harry and everybody else."

Lavender paused and turned to him. "Really?"

"You're part of us now, I guess."

She ran and put her arms around him, feeling tears prick to her eyes. "You have no idea how much that means to me," she said.

"You act like nobody loves you," he said.

Lavender broke apart and sat down. "For the past year, it's been just like that Bill. Nobody wants a werewolf. Remus knew that."

"And it made him lose years of his life. You know that, that's what you're trying to stop."

She looked at her hands. "For other people. Not for myself. I don't need-"

"Everybody needs friends Lavender," Bill said. "Surely you've worked that one out."

"Friends yes. But family… I never thought anybody would ever want me as part of a family again."

"And yet here you are," Bill said, smiling.

"Here I am," she agreed softly.

Just then Victoire let out a wail to tell her father she was awake.

Bill grinned. "Family isn't all good though," he said, rubbing his face. "Merlin, but she's kept me up all night."

"I can deal with her," Lavender said. "See you. I'm going to have a shower too."

She went and picked up Victoire. The little girl was warm and beautiful. Family.

It was such a beautiful word, Lavender had never thought of it before. Usually, when it was mentioned nowadays, she cursed her mother under her breath. But it was new and exotic.

"Family," she whispered to the baby. "What do you think? Could I be your aunt? I'm too old to be your sister. I think aunt would be nice, wouldn't you? Yes, I'd like to be your aunt. If you'd let me."

The little child cooed, and settled down. Lavender lay her in the cot gently, then sneaked past the room where Fleur's heavy breathing could be heard to the bathroom.

She showered and dressed smartly in a new set of fitted green robes, before going downstairs again.

"I'm going to go over to the office, see what they've closed it for."

"No wait, don't do that!" Bill said hastily. A little too hastily. She spun round.

"Why not?"

"Um, breakfast?"

"Oh I can grab something on the way-"

"We were going to go over to the Burrow."

"Molly's bacon? I'm there."

The four of them took the Floo network to Ottery St. Catchpole.

"Morning," said George. "You guys are early."

Alicia grinned. "We kind of got woken up because _somebody _left a Basic Blaze Box open by the fire and at about five a spark hit one of them, and it set off all the others. Nightmare to get them all down."

George smiled. "That's because they were designed not to be destroyed, so that we could annoy Umbridge."

"Mm, true, I'll forgive you," she said, rubbing their noses together.

"Oh break it up," Bill said tiredly.

Ron came sleepily down the stairs. "Do you guys ever sleep?" he asked the guests. "Why are you always here?"

"Because we love you," George said. "And don't cheek your elders."

"I'm older than Lavender," he grumbled. "And Victoire."

"But not than us," Alicia pointed out. "So be quiet."

"Alicia, don't be cruel!" Lavender was surprised to hear Mrs Weasley rebuking somebody who wasn't family. Alicia giggled.

"That's why I love you," George said and kissed her. Ron pretended to throw up into his bowl.

"Because of course, Ron," George said. "Ginny told us about when you and this young lady here used never to eat breakfast."

Lavender could feel her face going scarlet, and noticed Ron's ears beginning to glow.

"Different era, that was," George said happily. "Now he's with Hermione, and you and Seamus are a-"

A look from Alicia stopped him.

"Guys, what's happening?" Lavender asked suspiciously. "People have been doing that a lot to me lately."

"Nothing," Alicia said, rolling her eyes. "George is just being awkward and tactless as usual."

"I really don't mind," Lavender said. "Seamus and I are old news. Long gone."

"What number were the two of you on Witch Weekly's couple rankings?" Alicia asked.

"Oh, speaking of Witch Weekly, have you got the latest rankings?"

"Oh Hermione bought them," Ron said. "She's only, like, Number Thirty Seven or something. Got pretty upset over it."

"Where are they?" Lavender asked. "I really want to know where I am."

Ron got up and rummaged on the sofa. "We're really vain, aren't we?" he said, pausing.

"Well, yes," Lavender said, grabbing the magazine off him and ruffling its pages. "Ratings, ratings, ratings, page eighty seven…" She opened it. "It starts at Number One Hundred…" She scanned each page for her name. "Wow, Parvati got Number Ten." She put it down. "There's no way I got within the top ten."

"Check," Mrs. Weasley said. "You never know."

She turned the page, and her mouth fell open. "I'm Number Two! Fleur, you're Number One! That's no disgrace to be second to you. And Ginny's only Number Six."

Ron's, George's and Bill's mouths fell open simultaneously.

"Our little sister?" they said in unison.

"But how am I Number Two? There's not even pictures of me in a bikini."

"Why are you complaining?" Alicia pouted. "I'm not even famous enough to get mentioned. Or too ugly."

"One of the two," George said affectionately, ruffling her silvery blonde hair over her face.

"Who was judging?" Lavender asked, turning the page. Suddenly, everybody became interested in their food.

"Want more bacon, Lavender?" Bill asked.

"Of course, but who was-" she found the little box in the corner.

"No way!" she said angrily. "_That's _how I got second place?"

There was a collective "um…" Lavender stood up.

"I'm going to sort this out."

"No!" said Ron, a little too enthusiastically.

She whirled round. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said, his ears turning red.

"Why do I feel like I'm stepping on people's feet all the time?" Lavender asked. "Every time I mention something, it gets switched or- it's like everyone's planning against me or-"

"_Stupefy_!" Hermione shouted from the stairs, and Lavender fell.


	24. Chapter 24

* * *

AN: This is the penultimate chapter, one more left then the epilogue. Glad that I'm so close to the end :D.

So I hope you enjoy it! -Miriamimus xx

* * *

Lavender woke up groggily on the sofa in the Burrow, her head swirling. She groaned, but not incoherently.

"_Hermione, I am going to murder you next full moon,_" she hissed.

"No, you're not," Hermione said. "You're going to thank me. Can you sit up?"

Lavender managed to grip the side of the sofa and hoist the upper half of her body vertically. It was dark outside.

"It was morning," she said weakly. "How long have I been out?"

"It's seven now," Hermione said.

"What?" she said, startled awake. "How long have I been asleep?"

"A while. I Stun kind of… strongly."

"You bet you do," Lavender said, rubbing her head where she landed. "Ugh, I must look such a mess."

"Yup," Hermione said. "Here, have a drink." Lavender felt a cold glass being shoved into her hand and she slurped the water greedily.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on?" she asked.

"It's really not for us to tell," said another familiar voice. She looked behind the sofa.

"Parvati? Why are _you_ here?"

"Because I'm bored and your problems are entertaining," she said with a shrug.

"Thanks," Lavender said sarcastically. "But this is nice, the three of us, like old times, right?"

"Yup," Parvati said, dropping a familiar shape into her lap.

"Peggy!" she cried and hugged the doll.

"You might need her. You're in for a shock," Parvati warned.

"Oh, so you _are_ going to tell me?" Lavender asked.

"No. But what we are going to do is manhandle you into your best robes and Floo you… somewhere," Hermione said.

Lavender frowned. "Why?"

"Because we're bored, I told you!" Parvati exclaimed impatiently.

"I don't want to," Lavender said. "My head hurts."

"That was your own fault for not listening to what we told you to do," Hermione said in her mother-hen voice.

"So why do I need the doll?"

"For luck," Parvati said with a shrug.

"Shouldn't you be watching over your sister?"

"Nope. She's got friends now, in Mungo's. Of course, they're all as totally messed up and traumatized as she is, but the Healers perform Super Cheering Charms whenever they begin to feel suicidal."

"What a happy job," Lavender said dryly.

"Come on!" Parvati said, dragging her up the stairs.

"But all my robes and stuff are in Shell Cottage…" Lavender began to protest.

"Fleur brought these over!"

"Oh, so she had a hand in your big scheme too?" Lavender asked as Hermione shut the door to Ginny's room. Parvati tossed her the lilac robes with silver stitching.

"Put them on," she said.

With a sigh, Lavender turned her back and untied her green ones, unconsciously running a hand over the scars on her side as she did so. She dragged the purple ones over her head and buttoned them.

"Now what?" she asked, turning to her friends.

"What do you mean, now what? What else?" Parvati said. "Hair and make-up."

"I'm really not in the mood, can you please just tell me-"

"I will put a Full Body-Bind Curse on you unless you comply," Hermione threatened.

With a sigh, Lavender turned to the mirror and began to brush her hair with the brush that was oh-so-conveniently left there for her.

"I wish you would just tell me what was going on," she said with a sigh.

"Well, we're not going to."

"Where are the guys?"

"They've gone out with Dean, I think," Hermione said with a frown.

"Oh, so it's just the two of you that want to torture me? Fine then," Lavender said, putting the brush back down. "There, brushed. Now what?"

"Put it up!" Parvati said, taking out a little bag. Lavender groaned, it was an all too familiar object. Parvati untied it and poured out her collection of hair ornaments.

"There is no way I'm putting any of those on," she said, eyeing the butterflies' flapping wings.

"Then just use these," Parvati said, indicating the tiny silver springs she often used to hold her own cascade of raven black hair back.

"I'll use my own stuff, thanks," Lavender said, opening the drawer of Ginny's dressing table and pulling out the little patterned card box where she kept her things.

With expert hands, she looped her hair up into a gathering of waves at the back of her head and let her hands fall. She turned to her companions, who had been silent up until this point.

"There," she said. "Now will you-"

Parvati took a huge box from behind her. "No. And I'm sorry, but I'm doing this part."

Parvati was a skilled make-up artist, with every single weapon at her disposal. Lavender sighed and Hermione raised her wand and shut her eyes. In fifteen minutes Parvati was done. She sat back and admired her work. Both her and Hermione sighed.

"They grow up so fast ," Parvati said tearfully.

Lavender checked in the mirror. She had to admit, she looked good. She turned back suspiciously to Parvati.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," Parvati said far too quickly.

"You know, considering you Stunned me and held me hostage today, this whole 'nothing' charade isn't going to work much longer."

"It isn't going to need to work much longer," Hermione said offering her a hand and pulling her up. "It's time."

"Time for what?" Lavender said immediately, but at the same time, she was excited. This had been building up for so long, was she _finally _ going to find out what everyone was plotting? The last two weeks had been ridiculously strange, and with a shock, she remembered the Witch Weekly ratings.

"I have some killing to do," she said. "Where's my wand?"

"Killing?" Hermione asked innocently.

"Didn't you see the ratings? Who was judging?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. But aren't you happy with where you are? Did you want to be First?"

"No, of course not! But he still had no right to go and do that!"

"Who didn't?" Parvati asked.

"You know perfectly well who," Lavender growled, then checked herself. "Sorry. It's so close to full moon, I still have some… wolfish tendencies. Agh," she shook her head vigourously.

"Speaking of which, you need this," Parvati said, spraying perfume in her face.

Lavender coughed. "Flip, Parvati, do you know how strong that stuff is to me right now?" She wiped off her tongue and nostrils. "Yuck," she said. "I can smell every single ingredient of it. Not nice."

"Sorry," Parvati said. "But you smell sort of… doggy."

"I had a shower!"

"The smell's still there."

"Well if I smell bad, and I still feel terrible, why don't you leave whatever _this_ is until some other time?" Lavender cried.

"Because he didn't check his moon chart," Parvati said then shut her mouth.

A cricket chirped outside.

"And who might 'he' be?" Lavender asked sweetly, though inside she was fuming. Who else could it be?

"Dumbledore," Parvati said, looking scared out of her mind at the storm brewing inside Lavender.

"He's dead," Hermione supplied, looking equally as terrified.

"Aberforth. Aberforth Dumbledore. He's throwing you a birthday party."

"My birthday's in the summer," Lavender said.

"Happy late birthday!" Parvati said and giggled nervously.

Lavender looked at her. The giggle stopped abruptly.

The cricket chirped again.

Hermione inhaled deeply as if she was about to say something. Lavender picked up her wand.

"Hermione, my old friend," she said, leaning over. "You would tell me if a certain sandy haired boy was up to something to harm or humiliate me, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "But that's not what's going on."

"So what is?"

Hermione looked disappointed. "Parvati, we'll have to tell her."

"I suppose…" Parvati looked glum.

"It's Kingsley. He was planning on making you your own Department at the Ministry. For werewolf rights, incorporating centaurs and mermaids too. It was to be the grand opening tonight. That's why we tried to keep you here."

Lavender looked at Hermione, who did not look relieved enough for this to be the truth.

"You're lying," she said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"No, no I'm not," Hermione said unusually highly.

Lavender smiled. "Of course not. Well, if that's what's going on, I suppose I can go and check up on my office." She turned to leave.

"If that's what you really want," Parvati called after her.

Lavender spun round. That _was_ relieved.

"Actually, I think I'll do it in the morning," Lavender said, sitting down on her bed. "It can wait, I am feeling a bit sick actually."

"Oh, but are you sure? I mean, you were dying to see it this morning."

Lavender yawned. "I've changed my mind."

"You can't," Hermione said breathily. "I mean, why don't you want to go?"

"I'm tired."

"It's not even eight o'clock yet!"

"It was full moon yesterday, I can be tired if I want to be," Lavender said sternly.

"No you can't," Hermione said and grabbed her arm.

"Oy, ow, that hurts, let _go_!"

But Hermione didn't listen, instead dragging her down the stairs of the Burrow.

"Ouch, where are you taking me?"

"Here," Hermione said, stopping in the living room.

"We were hoping it wouldn't come to this," Parvati said with a grimace. "But desperate times-"

"Call for desperate measures," Hermione finished. "Have you got it?"

"Yes," Parvati said, handing her a cracked flowerpot.

"Don't even think about it," Lavender said dangerously, staring at the pot.

"Too late!" Hermione said. Parvati tossed the powder into the fire and shouted the address. Hermione threw her in.

_What is up with people throwing me into fireplaces recently?_ Lavender just had time to ask, before she landed with a bump.

The room looked unfamiliar. There was plush, thick red carpet on the ground, which was scattered with roses and sprigs of lavender (_how cheesy is this?_ she thought). A thousand candles lit up the room, and calm music by her favourite Muggle band was playing. She looked at the walls. They were a fresh, rich cream and on one wall she could see a family portrait of a raggedly tired looking -but happy- man, a small woman with a heart shaped face and between them a turquoise haired little boy.

_He looked around the bare walls and said "Where are the pictures?"_

"_What pictures?" she asked._

"_I don't know. Inspirational ones. Of famous werewolves."_

"_Finny, most werewolves were famous for eating people."_

_He clicked his fingers and turned to look at her. "Lupin." he said simply._

Her mahogany desk was pushed back against one corner. Huge velvet curtains embraced the window, giving them a view of the city in starlight. Behind her, a fire crackled in the new marble grate.

A hand appeared in front of her.

"May I have this dance?"

She took it without thinking and fell into his arms, swaying to the rhythm of the music.


	25. Chapter 25

AN: It's a miracle! I, Miriamimus, have updated twice in less than a week!

Yes, we all realise that it can't all be me. Which is why an extra special dedication goes out, to the wonderful Q8iya, for motivating (nagging) me, for listening to my useless ramblings, for mourning my death when the Google employees killed me with their vapourizing gun, for having the patience to listen to my talk about cheese. Thanks darling, I owe you one ;)

And to the rest of you as well, for reading and reviewing, and giving me a reason to continue with this fic. You're all stars!

But more of that next time. For now, here is the cringe-worthy fluff that I have been concocting. Well, I enjoy it.

* * *

"Finny?" she said after what seemed like an age, taking her head off his chest and looking up at him.

"Mm?" he asked sleepily.

"Why wouldn't you let me into your apartment?" she asked. Evil Lavender was still in there. It _was_ the day after full moon.

"I didn't have Romilda Vane in there, trust me on that."

"Well, then who did you have?"

"Her mother."

She broke away and screamed. "You _literal_ mother f-"

"No, no, she's an interior designer," he said, catching her wrists. "This was supposed to be a surprise, I didn't want you to know-"

"Why was she there in the middle of the night?"

"She's an insomniac. And I swear on my life that that's true," he said looking at her.

"I couldn't accuse that face of lying," she said with a sigh. "I'm sorry for coming up with an elaborate scheme involving all my friends to humiliate you and break up with you."

"And I'm sorry for coming up with an elaborate scheme to get you back."

"About that, who was involved?"

"The entire wizarding community. All of them. Plus some Muggles. The Prime Minister."

"The Prime _Minister_?" she asked. "I don't know you."

"Yes you do. And you know him."

"The Vances?"

"Yup."

"Lee Jordan?"

"Uh-huh."

"But Seamus," she said slowly. "How on earth did you manage to persuade Witch Weekly to put you on their council? Didn't they know you'd be biased?"

"The whole magazine is biased. The most beautiful girl in the country is in all likelihood, not famous."

"Oh thanks. So I shouldn't have been Number Two at all."

"No," he murmured and kissed her hair. "You should have been Number One."

She laughed. "I love you. You do know that right?"

"So you chose to humiliate me why?"

"Because you were being a control freak."

"Lavender… I asked you to make up with your parents."

"Which I did! Sort of…" She shut her eyes and leant against him. "No I didn't. But I did make up with Rosa." She paused. "I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

"Not completely," he said. "Otherwise you wouldn't be with me."

She punched his arm. "Seriously. Merlin, what girl refuses to make up with her parents?"

"Thousands of them, everyday. You're one of a million."

"I'm one _in _a million, I think you mean," she said. He laughed. She sighed. "I don't know, Mum seemed really sorry, and she's not very clever, bless her soul. Maybe I should send them an owl."

"I'm sure she'd like that," Seamus said quietly.

"I did give them the Burrow address, but…"

"About that…" he said. "I was wondering, are you happy living at Shell Cottage?"

"Yes," she said. "Bill and Fleur are lovely, Victoire's adorable, I have my own room, it's comfortable, it's in a nice location… why?"

He shrugged. "It's just… well, my apartment's tidy, and I was wondering… since there's a lot of room… I mean you don't have to…"

"Are you asking me to move in?" Lavender asked incredulously, staring at him. He blushed and looked at his feet.

"Only if you want to," he muttered, going flaming red.

"Seamus, you know I love you, but honestly, we'd eat each other alive."

"I love you too, which is why I thought-"

"Sometime," she promised. "But I just moved in with Bill and Fleur, and I'm so happy there, I… Well, I hate to say it, but if this, if _we_ don't work out, then I'll be left with nowhere to go again."

He looked at her hard. "Are you saying this isn't going to work?"

She frowned, her brain whizzing.

Seamus. This was Seamus. Gorgeous, lovely, hot-tempered, vivid, passionate Seamus.

"It is," she said, as much to herself as to him. "Of course it is. I shouldn't have said that-"

"So you'll move in?"

"Not now. Next year or sometime when my life is worked out and you don't have to worry about me and I don't have to get angry with you."

"Brownie…" he began, shaking his head.

"What?" she asked immediately.

"You've got a stable job in the Ministry of Magic. You've got all of your best friends old and new behind you. You're making good money, good progress, people falling over backwards for you to come and live with them… and you've got me. I think your life is pretty much sorted."

"Yeah," she said quietly. "You're right."

"So what other excuse can you give me?"

"I'm a werewolf, Seamus. That's never, ever going to change," she said, unable to meet his eyes. "You know no matter how much I try," she bit her lip. "No matter how much I or anyone else does, it doesn't make a difference. I'll always be like this."

"And?" he said, kissing her forehead. "I really, really don't care. I love you, Lavender."

"You loved a girl back when we were fifteen who had less cares in the world than a Mayfly. I've changed, Seamus. Don't you get that?"

"You think I haven't realised? What do you take me for?" He sounded genuinely angry. "Why are you doing this to me? To yourself?"

"Doing what?"

"All the time. Lavender, do you not think I know who you are? I know exactly who you are!"

"How can you, Seamus? I don't even know who I am."

"You're Lavender. You're the girl who never gives up. Who's so much more than a pretty face. Who's smart, and brave, and never lets anybody get in her way. And smells really good."

"Thanks. I think."

"Lavender, I know you better than I know myself," he said. "You're the person I love most in the world."

"I love you too," she said, reaching up and kissing his nose. "But I'm not moving in with you. It's too dangerous."

"You're forever saying that you're not dangerous, and now you're trying to be? How are the others not in danger, how could I be in danger when Victoire isn't?"

Lavender laughed. "I don't mean that. I mean it's dangerous for both of us. For us, as a couple. It's too soon, Seamus."

"So when's not too soon?"

"Soon," she said and laughed. He kissed her.

"So that's a thanks, but no thanks."

"It's a 'I'll move in with you when I'm twenty, do we have a deal?'"

"That's a deal," he said. "Only six months. I can wait."

"You can?"

"I can always wait for you," he said with a smile.

She put her arms around his neck more tightly. "You're too charming for your own good," she said. "There was a reason Romilda Vane hid under _your_ bed that time and not Neville's."

"Was there?" Seamus frowned.

Lavender rolled her eyes. "You can be so clueless."

They swayed in time to the music.

"Where did you get the money for this place?"

"I didn't," he said quietly. "I talked to your parents. Happy Christmas from them. It's a bit early."

Lavender stared around. "You-they…" She was lost for words, and instead, blinked hard. There were shivers going up and down her arms and she felt a tear squeeze itself from between her eyelids.

"So you'll send them that owl in the morning?" Seamus whispered in her ear.

Lavender nodded.

"Oh, and before I forget," Seamus broke away from her and picked up an envelope from her desk. "This is probably the best part of all."

She took it with a frown and ripped it open, scanning the lines. "I thought…" she said slowly. "I thought Hermione was lying!"

"She wasn't," Seamus said, looking positively ecstatic. "It took a lot of work, but Miss Brown, you are now Head of the Department of Half Humans, which incorporates the Werewolf Rights Office, as well as the Offices for the Liaisons for Mermaids and Centaurs, but they won't give you much bother. And…" he took her hands, tossing the letter aside. "This is your office, and the one for the Vice Head is right next door."

"And that is-?" Lavender prompted. Seamus looked down and shuffled his feet.

"You can fire me if you want," he said softly.

"Seamus, how did you get Kingsley to agree to this?"

"He had been thinking on opening the Department for a few months, he said, and when I suggested you could take charge, he thought it was a good idea."

Lavender sat down at the new window seat.

"Seamus, how do I even begin-"

He kissed her. "That's a start," he said.

"And the end?"

"Not in May, when you move in with me. Or even five years from now when you marry me. Or eighty years from now when I die and you're holding my hand."

This frightened Lavender a bit, so she added "What about next week when I break up with you?"

Seamus only smiled. "It ends either whenever _we _end. So if that's next week, then I'm good with it. Is it going to be next week?"

Lavender pretended to think on this. Seamus gripped her hands again.

"You wouldn't do that to me so close to Christmas."

She smiled. "You're right. I wouldn't. Wouldn't do that to myself that close to Christmas."

"When will you do it to yourself?" he asked, pulling her up and beginning to dance again.

Lavender paused, and looked into his leaf-green eyes. She thought about the past few months, and the wonder that was Seamus.

"Not any time soon," she said sincerely and kissed him.

They danced and danced, then when they could dance no more, they curled up on the floor together -even though Lavender was tired of lying on the floor- and talked and talked, until at last they slept, their arms around each other.

Outside, the waning moon set and the bright winter sun rose, and Seamus Finnegan traced the scars he could feel beneath Lavender Brown's robes and she felt like she hadn't done in a long time.

She felt like the most beautiful girl in the world.


	26. Epilogue

AN: Here it is, the end of my epic journey. whew. I'm exhausted, but I'm so happy!!

I want to dedicate this to all my wonderful reviewers -and to readers too, if you've stuck this far with me. Thank you! I appreciate it very much, and you know that if you review, it's the perfect way to make my day.

I had a lot of fun writing this. I'm going to do some Lavender/Seamus oneshots and things, I'm not giving up on this pairing.

So here it is!! Thank you so much, keep each other safe, keep faith xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Final Wordcount: 47332. Whew. xxx

* * *

For once, England looked like it might be having a white Christmas.

Lavender smiled at the fairy lights twinkling above her as she shuffled through the snow. With fumbling gloved fingers she unlocked the door. Usually she would just Apparate straight in, but tonight she walked. She didn't know why. Her breath came out in little puffs of white. _Ice dragons_, she thought.

Once inside, she took off her gloves and scarf and unbuttoned her coat, making her way along the corridor. It hadn't changed with the rest of Seamus' plans for the building. Up the stairs and round the corner she went.

Some people might find it weird to be going to work on Christmas Eve but for her, it felt right. She had loose ends to tie up. She had agreed to spend the next day with Bill and Fleur, then Stephen's Day with Seamus, then who knows? All she had to do was find some documents for Roisin, write a recommendation for Maurice… Seamus would kill her if he knew this was how she was spending Christmas Eve, but they were gifts to people she cared about.

She flicked through her ring of keys to find the one she needed to her office door. It was quiet, except for the noise of Christmas carols being played from the pub down the road. The key clicked in the lock and she went in, turning the lamps on with a wave of her wand and glancing at her desk. She got the shock of her life.

"Why the hell are you at work on Christmas Eve?" Seamus asked lazily.

"I, I-"

He grinned. "You see, Brownie, I know you too well."

"What do you mean?"

He looked around the room, and with pops, people appeared. "Surprise!" they shouted.

"This is so corny I fear I may puke," Lavender said, trying to keep a straight face but inside she was dancing.

Seamus shrugged. "I wanted your first time here to be romantic, so this couldn't happen then."

She looked around. Hermione, Ron and Harry smiled at her. Ginny held Harry's hand and waved. Nearby Dean stood grinning, with his arms round Luna. Neville waved from behind them. Roisin, Adam, Beth, Henry, Maurice, Cathy and Dorothy all stood in a cluster. Mr and Mrs Weasley waved cheerfully, standing beside Sylvia and Chrissie. Lee Jordan was stuffing himself with cake while Alicia and George were nudging each other. Bill and Fleur stood behind Victoire's pram and grinned at her. Mrs. O'Connor and Augusta Longbottom were nattering in the corner.

And standing near the desk were her father, mother and sister.

"Just talk to them," Seamus whispered as Lavender turned away. "They paid for all this. They just want you back."

Lavender took a deep breath. "Okay," she said and turned round.

John Brown nodded, Violet smiled nervously and Rosa positively beamed, running over and putting her arms round her sister.

"Lavvy!" she said happily. Lavender hugged her.

"Merry Christmas Rosy," she said quietly and met her mother's eyes. Rosa broke apart and she went over to her parents, looking hard at each of their faces.

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I've been so selfish."

"You've not been, we have," her father said gruffly.

"Thank you," she said. "For… all of this. It's incredible."

Her mother smiled. "Will you take us back?"

She shrugged. "Will you take me back?"

Her father pretended to look confused. "Why wouldn't we?"

She threw her arms around both of them at the same time. "I've missed you," she said, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oy, don't be crying!" said George. "This is a party!"

She laughed. "Fair enough," she said and unravelled her arms. Her parents both nodded encouragingly.

"Seamus is a nice boy," her mother said.

Lavender nodded. "The nicest," she replied.

She felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to see Bill and Fleur. They were both beaming.

"Merry Christmas!" she said with a laugh, hugging them each and kissing Victoire's forehead.

"We have a suggestion for you," Bill said, cocking his head so that his scarlet scars glimmered in the light.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Victoire's baptism is in the New Year…" Bill began.

"And we wondered eef you would like to be her godmother," said Fleur.

Lavender stared at them for a moment, before replying "Yes!" She was a little over-enthusiastic, as the whole room stared at her. She laughed and took Victoire from Fleur.

"I'm going to be your godmother," she said happily. "Did you hear that? I'm going to be your godmother, I'm going to be your godmother, I'm-"

"Hate to interrupt your victory dance," Parvati said, and Lavender blushed. "Here," she said, handing her a little scroll. "Padma said to give this to you. She's finally getting better."

Parvati handed the baby to her best friend and unrolled the parchment. Inside was a beautiful painting. Lavender was staring at her own eyes, set into a wolf's face. She frowned, and read the line of writing at the bottom.

_We do not change though our bodies may._

Dean looked over her shoulder. "That's good… but also slightly disturbing."

"No," Lavender said slowly. "She's completely right." She scrolled it back up and set it on her desk. Padma was right. No matter what happened, no matter how scarred she was, how hairy, how vicious, she didn't change. It was only when she decided to change that she did.

Her classmates were laughing. "Remember when Lavender predicted Harry was going to die the following Tuesday from a freak Hippogriff accident?" Ron said with a grin.

Lavender smiled too, but pretended not to hear.

That girl was gone. She was someone different. But it wasn't to do with the moon, or a bite. It didn't have to do with the fact she was a little taller, her face less round. It was just to do with… her.

Nobody had ever forced her to change. Greyback had given her an opportunity to and she had taken it.

She touched her side softly. The scars didn't twinge and she could barely feel them beneath her robes.

_We do not change though our bodies may._

Lavender realised that she had grown up. And that had nothing to do with welts along her hip, or fur growing on her face beneath the moon. It was the most natural thing in the world.

She smiled and sniffed the room.

It smelt of the rich velvet curtains, of the cold outside. Of the mingling of her mother's sweet floral perfume and her father's tweedy aroma. It smelt if ink on Hermione's hands, Seamus' aftershave, of Victoire after her bath. It smelt of old arguments forgotten, old prejudices bypassed and new friendships formed, of a new perspective on the world.

The people around her milled and the word "family" came into her mind. Family.

She looked at Rosa and her parents.

But then she looked to Seamus.

To Hermione and Parvati.

The Weasleys.

Neville, Dean and Luna.

The werewolves and their guests.

She didn't speak, but took Victoire back from Parvati and grasped Seamus' hand. Bill put a brotherly arm round her shoulder while Rosa hugged her from behind. Without a word, they formed one huge group hug around and behind her.

And she looked up.

To where the picture of a tired looking grey haired man, standing beside a vibrantly beautiful young woman with a colourful baby in her arms hung.

She smiled to him, and he smiled back.

She inhaled again, the scent of everybody around her, and understood Remus Lupin's smile. He was proud of her and suddenly she understood why.

She breathed in the scent of her family and thought it was the most wondrous aroma in the world.


End file.
